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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29664255">Fangs and Friends</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaDrozen/pseuds/EmmaDrozen'>EmmaDrozen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fangs and Friends: Supernatural Haikyuu [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Blood, Bokuaka - Freeform, College, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Full Shift Werewolves, Gamer Kozume Kenma, KuroKen - Freeform, M/M, Minor Violence, Multi, Nymphs &amp; Dryads, Party, Polyamory, Sex, Sirens, Supernatural Elements, Vampire Bites, Vampires, Werewolves, fangs, kurooken - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:15:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29664255</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaDrozen/pseuds/EmmaDrozen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenma Kozume's life was simple. He completed his online classes and streamed games while his best friend, Tetsurou Kuroo, dated a model and tried to get him to be more social. That is, until a party with their old friends where the model's brother set into motion a transformation that would change both their lives forever.</p><p>The real question is... how long will it take Kenma to notice that he's no longer human?<br/>How long will Kuroo be able to keep it from him?<br/>What will they do when he finds out?</p><p>(Updating every Friday!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Kozume Kenma, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke/Yachi Hitoka, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fangs and Friends: Supernatural Haikyuu [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kenma's life is so normal... for now.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A musical ringing woke Kenma from a deep sleep. He’d been dreaming, but the plot of the dream flew from his head as quickly as a fleeing rabbit. He reached for his cell phone, groaning and rubbing his eyes.</p><p>“What do you want, Kuroo?” he asked curtly as he put the phone to his ear and leaned back on his small mountain of pillows. The annoying song was specially selected to indicate when the man was calling.</p><p>“Wow, Kenma! What a sweet way to greet your best friend,” he replied sarcastically. His familiar laugh made Kenma roll his eyes. “Were you still sleeping? Don’t you have a stream tonight?”</p><p>“Yeah, but it’s not until like 8 pm. I have a little over an hour. I was up late fixing my lighting stuff and didn’t go to bed until like 9 am.”</p><p>“Your nocturnal schedule is still so wild to me. Can I come over? I’ll bring you food! I wanna hang out and watch you play for a bit.” Kenma could tell that he was trying to act cool, but the eagerness was clear in his voice.</p><p>“A bit? Or all night?”</p><p>“What’s the difference?”</p><p>“Alright, fine. Food is good. I guess I’ll get up and shower. Just let yourself in when you get here.” After hanging up the phone and climbing laboriously out from under the heavy blankets on his tall bed, he stretched and groaned. His neck and back made loud popping sounds, reminding him of hours he’d spent hunched over his computer. He sighed and made his way across the fourth-floor studio apartment to the bathroom, shedding his clothes and stepping underneath the warm water pouring out of the shower head. For some reason, his mind wandered to his dream. It seemed important, but he couldn’t remember why. His dreams were always strange and nonsensical, often forgotten moments after waking.</p><p>When Kenma left the bathroom, he found Kuroo lounging on the freshly-made bed with a bag sitting next to him. His tight black pants and baggy sweatshirt accentuated his long legs and thin frame. He’d known the lanky man for years, since they were kids. Their mothers had become friends when they were neighbors, practically forcing them to spend time together. When the friendship continued in school, Kenma hadn’t complained. Much. He might have been completely friendless without Kuroo, though he refused to tell him that in case it made his head too big.</p><p>“Kuroo, you know I don’t like food on my bed,” Kenma mumbled as he crossed the apartment again, holding a towel around himself. His two-toned hair dripped as he dug through his dresser for a clean t-shirt. He found one of his favorites – red with a black cat’s silhouette on it – and pulled it on over some black sweatpants. He grabbed the plastic bag as he passed the bed and set it on the small square table that stood between the small kitchenette and the bed. “You literally passed by the table to get to the bed. I don’t understand you. Now get over here before I eat your burrito, too.”</p><p>“With your appetite? I’d be surprised if you even finish your own in one go,” he teased back, hopping off the bed and sliding into one of the chairs. They ate quickly, Kuroo smirking when Kenma wrapped half of his burrito back in the crinkly foil and placed it into the refrigerator. As he closed the door, he narrowly dodged a flying ball of silver, watching it fall into the garbage between the refrigerator and the dresser.</p><p>“Score!” Kuroo cheered, grinning proudly.</p><p>Kenma just shook his head and moved to his gaming desk, settling into the large, comfortable chair. He pulled his legs up, crossing them and draping a blanket across them. He put on his headphones – a gift from Kuroo for his last birthday. They were black with plastic cat ears sticking up from the top.</p><p>Kuroo plopped down on the couch with his feet up, stretching out with one arm across the back of it. He liked to lay so that he could turn his head to his right to watch the television and turn his head to the left to watch Kenma play.</p><p>“What’s tonight’s game?” Kuroo asked as he turned on an anime that he’d been interested in recently, binging it whenever he hung out at Kenma’s apartment. It was full of action and drama with dynamic characters, providing a nice amount of background noise, even through headphones.</p><p>“Same as last week,” Kenma replied. He’d been playing against other players in a popular online game every week on the same night for over a month now. It was relatively simple and easy to learn, with short rounds of task completion and avoiding an imposter who tried to take out the rest of the players. The game had adorable, customizable characters; Kenma’s was yellow with black cat ears and a tail.</p><p>“I finally played that with Bokuto, Akaashi, and Alisa the other night! It was pretty fun.”</p><p>“What’s Alisa doing tonight?”</p><p>“Actually, she picked up her younger brother from the airport earlier and spent the day with him. She wanted to show him the sights, you know?” Kuroo paused, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t usually ask about her.”</p><p>“Just trying to make conversation. You usually talk about her a lot anyway, but you hadn’t mentioned her yet tonight, so I wasn’t sure if you guys were fighting or something.” Kenma shrugged, then fell quiet as he set up the livestream that would capture his gameplay and his reactions from the webcam above the three computer monitors. Colored lights from beneath the desk and the wall above it illuminated him and the art that covered the walls in that corner of the apartment. A small bookcase against the wall behind him was just barely visible, the top of it crowded with small figurines from his favorite shows and games. Kenma pressed a few buttons to complete the process and begin the stream, watching the game load.</p><p>“Hey guys, ‘caliKo_gamurr’ here. Ready to play.” His eyes flickered back and forth across the screen, tracking the steady flow of incoming viewers and their accompanying comments. When he’d first started streaming his games, he had never expected to have any sort of following. He thought that his quiet demeanor and monotonous voice would make him boring, but people had been intrigued by his incredible skill and infrequent bursts of emotion and passion. Kuroo had also become popular as a guest star on his streams since he visited so often.</p><p>Kenma spent the next several hours playing and answering questions that viewers asked, eyes rapidly travelling across the screen to keep track of it all without losing a moment of his game. There were a handful of times throughout the stream when he lost his cool during arguments, face twisting in frustration as he shouted into his microphone at the teammates he was randomly paired with for each round. Twice Kuroo reached out to set a hand on Kenma’s shoulder with a feather-light touch, resting it there until the gamer took a deep breath and calmed himself enough to continue playing. The tall man also took it upon himself to keep Kenma’s water cup full, bring him food and snacks, and set fresh energy drinks on the desk within his reach. He seemed to have a sixth sense about when the gamer was hungry or thirsty, getting up to pull bags of chips from the cabinet or the half-eaten burrito from the refrigerator just as Kenma started grumbling.</p><p>At midnight, Kuroo paused the show so that he could make a smoothie from frozen mixed berries and dark red vegetable juice for both of them, as he did every time he came over. What had begun as an attempt to fulfill Kenma’s daily requirement of vitamins had become a sort of tradition for them.</p><p>Kenma held the matte black cup between his knees and drank the dark red smoothie through a straw while he continued playing. His regular viewers were familiar with this routine, refraining from asking questions until he was finished. Kuroo drank his quickly and dozed on the couch, napping through several episodes of the show. Kenma scratched a quick note to mark which episode he started hearing snoring, knowing that Kuroo would complain about not being able to find his spot.</p><p>Around 4 am, Kenma closed the game and said good night to the viewers, thanking them for tuning in and reminding them to check his webpage for his streaming schedule. He shut down the computer and joined Kuroo on the couch, waking him. They lounged quietly for a while before the lanky man spoke.</p><p>“So, since you won a lot and you’re in a good mood, can I suggest something?” Kuroo asked. Kenma had his head in his lap, playing on one of his handheld consoles. He paused the game and looked up at the smirking face above him with narrowed eyes.</p><p>“Is it going to be stupid?” Kenma asked. When Kuroo scoffed and put a hand to his chest like he was offended, he just rolled his eyes and resumed his game.</p><p>“There’s a party tomorrow night,” Kuroo began.</p><p>“That sounds stupid,” Kenma interjected.</p><p>“No, it’ll be fun! It’s been so long since you’ve been social with anyone other than me! You can meet Alisa’s brother, too.”</p><p>“That sounds horrible.”</p><p>“Oh, I forgot to mention the best part,” Kuroo smirked. “Hinata is hosting the party. Are you sure you don’t want to go?”</p><p>There was a quiet beep as Kenma paused his game again, soft music playing as he considered.</p><p>“Fine. I’ll go.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Party Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alisa's brother is only the most annoying person that Kenma has ever met... What could possibly go wrong?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kenma sighed as he followed Kuroo and Alisa up the front steps of the house that Hinata shared with his roommates. They were holding hands, the silver-haired woman gazing up at the tall man lovingly as he talked about his classes. She was the picture of a perfect girlfriend, hanging on each word and laughing at all the right moments. She was beautiful, making it obvious how she was so popular as a model.</p><p>Her brother, on the other hand, had been nothing but an annoyance since the moment Kenma met him. He was even taller than Kuroo, and thinner as well. Kenma thought he looked like a stick bug, especially with his strange green eyes, which looked significantly more beautiful on Alisa’s face. Lev had been talking nonstop since the trio had picked up Kenma, chattering about travel and school and the weather and anything that fluttered through his vapid mind, apparently.</p><p>It was only seconds after Kuroo rang the doorbell that the front door was flung wide open, a short ginger grinning on the other side.</p><p>“Kenma!” he shouted, leaping over Kuroo and Alisa’s linked hands to wrap the blond in a tight embrace. Kenma smiled and hugged him back. There weren’t many people that he tolerated and even fewer that he was fond of. Shouyou Hinata was one of those few that he cared for.</p><p>“Hi, Shouyou,” he replied.</p><p>“I’m so glad you came! Kuroo said he would bring you but I know you don’t like parties that much, so I wasn’t sure if you would really come or not!”</p><p>“Wow! You’re so small!” Lev interrupted, grinning obliviously down at Hinata, towering a foot taller than the orange haired man.</p><p>“Shut up, Lev.” Kenma sighed again. “Shouyou, this is Lev. He’s Alisa’s brother and he’s visiting.”</p><p>“Listen here, Lev! I may be short, but I can jump higher than you for sure and I bet I’m faster, too!” Hinata’s eyes were wide and he was practically hopping as he shouted. Kuroo reached out with his free hand and ruffled his orange curls.</p><p>“We know, chibi-chan,” he laughed. “Can we go inside? Who’s here?”</p><p>“Lots of people! Come on in!” Hinata turned, smiling again as he led them all inside. The house was crowded with familiar people talking and laughing, sipping from plastic cups and playing games. Music poured from speakers, weaving between the conversations.</p><p>Kenma groaned internally. He didn’t particularly enjoy being social with many people. He was relieved when Hinata invited him to go to the kitchen to prepare drinks and snacks with him. They munched on chips while Hinata poured a variety of bottles into a large punch bowl, chatting about Kenma’s stream the previous night.</p><p>“I watched for a while, but I can’t stay up that late, I always end up falling asleep and falling out of my chair!” Hinata exclaimed, waving his arms. “I don’t know how you do it!”</p><p>“I sleep all day,” Kenma replied. He accepted the cup that Hinata offered and took a drink, wincing as the alcoholic mixture hit his throat. The juice in it had a good flavor, though, so he finished it quickly and poured himself another.</p><p>“Hinata! Boke! Where have you been?” One of Hinata’s roommates burst into the kitchen, dark blue eyes flashing.</p><p>“I was making the punch, Kageyama!”</p><p>“Well, hurry up! We’re running out of drinks out there!”</p><p>“I’m coming! Why are you so bossy?”</p><p>They continued bickering as Kageyama carried the punch bowl into one of the other rooms, Hinata following close on his heels with two bowls of chips. Kenma meandered after them, wandering through the house in search of Kuroo and sipping at his drink. He was grateful that most people let him be as he emptied his cup for the second time. He could feel the warm fuzziness of inebriation in his limbs and his cheeks, enjoying the soft feeling of freedom and looseness that accompanied it. He didn’t drink often, so the alcohol soon overwhelmed his senses. He sat in the corner of one of the quieter rooms and pulled a handheld game console from his pocket to play until Kuroo or Hinata found him again. Unfortunately, it was Lev who approached him, as talkative as usual.</p><p>“This is so much fun! I’m so glad I came to visit,” Lev said, leaning over Kenma to see the screen of the game. “Alisa said you play video games a lot and earn money by winning tournaments and having lots of people watch you. You must be really good, then, right? What are you playing? Can I try?”</p><p>“Yeah. A racing game. No.” Kenma answered quickly. He was startled when the console slipped from his grasp, looking up to find it in the slender fingers of the silver-haired annoyance.</p><p>“Thanks!”</p><p>“I said no!”</p><p>“Oh, but you said yes, so I thought you meant… Well, can I just play one round?”</p><p>“Give it back.” Kenma grabbed for it, but Lev pulled it away at the last second. He laughed, not noticing that the blond was rigid with barely-controlled anger.</p><p>“You’re pretty short, too,” he said, holding the game up out of Kenma’s reach. “Can you jump as high as Hinata? He hit my hand when I held it all the way up here and then slapped the ceiling-”</p><p>He was abruptly cut off when Kenma leaped on him with a wild screech. He clawed at his shirt, using it to pull himself higher on the thin man as if he was a cat scrabbling up a tree. Lev was so surprised that he didn’t even consider lowering the game that he held above his head. Kenma clung to him, nearly feral, and dug his teeth into his shoulder. Lev cried out, but Kenma just bit harder, breaking through fabric and skin. He could taste the iron of blood on his tongue, which seemed to match the red haze of fury that covered his vision.</p><p>Suddenly, two large hands grabbed him under the arms and pulled him off the other man. He growled.</p><p>“Kenma! What are you doing?” Kuroo yelled, holding him off the ground and shaking him slightly until he calmed slightly. He blinked up at his friend.</p><p>“He took my game. He wouldn’t give it back.”</p><p>“Oh.” Kuroo shook his head with a grimace. “I should have warned him.”</p><p>“What happened?” Alisa ran up, eyes wide in shock.</p><p>“Well, Lev apparently tried to tease Kenma by taking his game, not realizing that it’s a pretty strict boundary of his,” Kuroo chuckled. He set Kenma on his feet, then reached out and snatched the game from Lev’s hand, setting it gently in Kenma’s hands.</p><p>Alisa muttered to Lev in a foreign language, stopping abruptly when he touched his shoulder and his fingers came away wet with blood. She turned her gaze to Kenma, who was still glaring at the source of his anger. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Kenma rubbed his eyes. He squinted, looking bewildered.</p><p>“Kuroo, I don’t feel so good…” he mumbled, eyes drooping closed. Kuroo caught him as he went limp and collapsed, barely keeping his head from smacking into the floor.</p><p>“Kenma! How much did you drink? You’re such a lightweight,” Kuroo muttered, lifting him into his arms. He turned to Alisa with a grimace. “It must be all the excitement. I should probably take him home.”</p><p>“I’ll take Lev back to my place,” Alisa said quietly. She was pale, unable to meet Kuroo’s eyes.</p><p>“It’s just a scratch! Can’t we stay?” Lev complained.</p><p>“No, come on!” She grabbed her brother’s hand and dragged him out the front door, ignoring his continued protestations and Kuroo’s concerned gaze.</p><p>“Is Kenma alright?” Hinata asked, suddenly standing at Kuroo’s elbow.</p><p>“Yeah, I think he just drank too much. I’d ask about letting him rest somewhere but you know how he is about sleeping anywhere but his own bed, so I’ll just grab a cab and take him home,” Kuroo smiled at the small man. “Thanks for the party, chibi-chan. Next time, I’ll host, alright?”</p><p>“Awesome!” Hinata said, bouncing up and down as he walked Kuroo to the front door and held it for him, waving goodbye.</p><p>About thirty minutes later, Kuroo was tucking Kenma into his bed, shoes on the floor and jacket draped across one of the chairs. He brushed back some of the blond man’s hair, worried about the pained expression on his face. He dragged the garbage over so that it was beside the bed in case he woke and needed to vomit, then stretched out on the couch to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Awakening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kenma wakes feeling different. What is Kuroo hiding?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Kenma woke, he was disoriented for a moment. He sat up, then groaned at how his head throbbed and his stomach flipped. Every muscle in his body felt sore, like he’d run a marathon and gotten beaten to a pulp by a group of clumsy children with clubs. The pain went so deep that his bones ached when he moved.</p><p>"What happened to me?" he groaned, pulling his knees up to his chest and rested his forehead on them until his body steadied slightly. After a few minutes, he was able to lift his head and look around, recognizing the familiar shapes of his own furniture in the darkness. He pulled at the edge of one of the blackout curtains on the window above his bed, observing the night sky outside before letting the thick cloth fall back down over the glass. On the small nightstand beside the bed, a tall glass of water stood beside his phone and a note in Kuroo’s handwriting.</p><p>“You passed out at the party. You were still sleeping when I got up around noon, so I’ll check in later. Drink this water!” Kenma shook his head as he read the note aloud, lifting the glass to his lips and draining it quickly. It helped a bit with the pounding in his head but seemed to bring attention to the fact that his stomach was empty. He was hungry – and thirsty, despite the water he’d just drank.</p><p>He slowly got to his feet and made his way to the sink in the kitchenette, filling his glass and draining it again. The water seemed louder than normal, like a pounding waterfall trying to deafen him. His mouth felt strange as well, as if he’d strained his jaw or gotten a toothache, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint the uncomfortable sensation. He filled his glass and drank again. It felt like there was a pit in his gut, screaming and threatening to chew away at his stomach if he didn’t fill it. Just as he considered what he might have in the refrigerator, he heard a key turning in the lock. The door swung open and Kuroo strode through, flipping the light switch as he entered.</p><p>“Ah!” The sudden light blinded Kenma for several seconds, making him wince and cover his face. It seemed unnaturally bright and painful; it took him a minute to adjust.</p><p>“Kenma? You’re awake!” Kuroo strode in, setting a couple plastic bags on the counter beside the stove. He was wearing clean clothes and smelled slightly of mint, like his soap. The scent filled Kenma’s nose. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it made his stomach twist, as if it was searching for something else.</p><p>“Barely,” Kenma groaned. “I think I’m still hungover, though. I feel like I’m dying.”</p><p>“I brought stuff to cook, so I’ll whip it up real fast after I make our smoothies.”</p><p>“Smoothies? What time is it?”</p><p>“It’s almost midnight already. You slept a long time.” Kuroo pulled the frozen fruit from the freezer and started mixing the ingredients in the blender as Kenma sat down at the table, rubbing his eyes. When the smoothie was placed in front of him in its usual dark cup, he slid it closer and drank deeply through the straw. The instant relief that he felt when it hit his empty stomach made him sigh. He must have been hungrier than he thought, but it made sense since he had slept a whole day away. Just as he finished it, an aroma hit his nose that almost made him drool.</p><p>“What are you making?” he asked, rising slightly from his seat in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the wide pan on the stove. His stomach rumbled.</p><p>“I had stuff for kabobs at my place, so I prepped them there. I just need to cook them and we can eat,” Kuroo answered. He placed the skewers of meat, bell peppers, and onions on the oiled pan, sending a loud hiss and wave of savory scent through the air.</p><p>“Weren’t you going to make these for Alisa? I remember you talking about it a few days ago.” Kenma tried to focus on the conversation, but his stomach made it difficult. “Don’t overcook those. I want mine rare.”</p><p>“Oh, about Alisa…” Kuroo paused, turning the kabobs so that they cooked evenly, then turning to lean against the counter. “She left.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Kenma was shocked.</p><p>“She broke up with me, then she and Lev got on a plane this afternoon to somewhere in Russia.” Kuroo set the plate of kabobs on the table and sat down across from Kenma, who was already holding a skewer and tearing at the meat on it. They ate in silence for several minutes until the plate was empty except for the metal skewers that criss crossed it.</p><p>“Why did she break up with you?” Kenma asked quietly as he set down the last skewer. He stared down at the table, hesitating. “Was it… Was it because I attacked Lev at the party?”</p><p>“Oh, don’t blame yourself. There were other factors,” Kuroo told him, though he didn’t elaborate. He got up and set the plate in the sink, then leaned against the counter again. “Feeling better?”</p><p>“Yeah, a bit,” Kenma replied. “My stomach still feels a little weird. I don’t know, it’s like I’m craving something.”</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“I don’t know. Can I have another smoothie?”</p><p>“I knew you liked them!” Kuroo laughed, quickly making another and pouring it into the cup. Kenma drank it hurriedly, feeling more satisfied by it than the kabobs. He usually drank the smoothies to keep his friend off his back about vitamins and health, but for some reason they tasted different. He enjoyed them more than he had before.</p><p>“Are these different tonight?” He looked up at Kuroo, imagining for a split second that he saw a flash of panic on the tall man’s face before he chuckled.</p><p>“Not really. New brand of vegetable juice – maybe that’s it?”</p><p>“I guess so. It actually tastes good.” Kenma shrugged as he finished it, pushing the cup away. He stood, noting that his body didn’t feel so sore as he wandered over to the couch. He sat, tucking his legs under him and turning on the television, wincing at the volume and turning it down quickly. Kuroo did the dishes before joining him. When he sat beside the blond, he looked at him with a concerned expression on his face.</p><p>“Are you alright?” he asked. “You’re shivering.”</p><p>“Actually, I’m a little cold.”</p><p>“Here.” Kuroo reached over the back of the couch to grab the blanket off of the computer chair, draping it over both of them and leaving his arm around Kenma's shoulders. Kenma snuggled closer, wondering why Kuroo felt so much warmer than he usually did. It was like his skin was burning with fever, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable, so the smaller man didn’t mention it.</p><p>“I’m sorry about Alisa,” Kenma said quietly, gaze still locked on the television screen. “I know she made you happy.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Kuroo replied. His voice was steady and casual. Kenma knew that he was putting on a brave face and acting like he was fine, like he always did. “Bokuto has already promised to take me out for drinks next weekend to drown my sorrows. Wanna come with?”</p><p>“After this hangover, I don’t know if I ever want to drink again,” Kenma muttered, making his friend laugh loudly. “Why wasn’t Bokuto at the party last night? Or Akaashi?”</p><p>“They have that date night agreement where they don’t cancel on each other once they schedule something together. Last night was one of those dates. Bokuto said that next Saturday is free, though.”</p><p>“Where are you going to go?”</p><p>“Probably just bar hopping downtown.”</p><p>“I don’t like bars,” Kenma said with a sigh.</p><p>“I know. You don’t have to go,” Kuroo assured him. “I just wanted to invite you anyway.”</p><p>They watched the show quietly for a while before Kenma spoke again. His voice was barely louder than a whisper.</p><p>“Thank you for taking care of me.”</p><p>Kuroo rested his chin on Kenma's head and answered back just as softly.</p><p>“Anytime.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Incoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo's night out with friends invades Kenma's space, but he doesn't seem to mind much.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The week seemed to pass quickly, with Kuroo spending all of his free time outside of class and his internship at Kenma’s apartment. Kenma completed his online coursework easily, working toward a degree in computer engineering and game design. His parents had insisted that he have some kind of degree before fully committing to his career as a professional gamer.</p><p>He could tell that Kuroo was stressed about his own courses, working hard toward a degree in biochemistry while working in a research lab as an administrative tech. The way that the man flopped onto the couch each night when he arrived exposed how exhausted he was. Kenma knew that Alisa had helped him to relax when they dated, but he had been friends with him for most of their lives. He knew Kuroo better than anyone, even the girls that he dated. He kept Kuroo company, letting him vent and spread his homework across the floor. He even went to a 24-hour gym to toss a volleyball around, though they were both out of practice.</p><p>When Saturday night rolled around, Kenma woke just after sunset, as he usually did, and stationed himself at his computer desk. He logged into an MMO, using his high-leveled character to complete quests and battle his way through dungeons with other players. He grumbled every time he had to get up to get his own water or snacks, annoyed with how dependent he’d gotten on Kuroo and his company recently.</p><p>Kuroo went out with Bokuto and Akaashi, sending a selfie of them on the street in front of the first bar. Kenma’s heart skipped a beat each time his phone pinged with a text message from him, giving him updates on the trio’s progress through downtown.</p><p>At one point, Kenma realized it had been a while since the last message or selfie. He finished the dramatic fight that he was involved in, then picked up his phone and sent a quick text asking where they were. A strange irritability made it feel like his skin was prickling and his stomach was doing flips. Each small inconvenience seemed more annoying than usual. He frowned, munching on microwaved chicken nuggets in an attempt to ease his appetite, frustrated with the craving that he couldn’t quite identify and couldn’t seem to satisfy. His nerves felt like they were frazzled and hot, like frayed wires. He nearly leaped out of his skin when there was a loud banging at his apartment door. A sigh escaped his lips when he heard familiar voices on the other side, along with a jingle of keys.</p><p>“You don’t have to knock, bro. I have a key!” Kuroo’s muffled voice said.</p><p>“Oh yeah!” Bokuto’s voice was louder than Kuroo’s, clear despite the layers of drywall between them. Kenma sighed again. They were definitely drunk. The door swung open, the two spiky-haired men nearly tumbling to the floor in a gaggle of laughter, clinging to each other to remain standing. Akaashi followed them inside and closed the door behind them, significantly calmer and more sober. He nodded at Kenma in greeting, dark curls shifting with the movement.</p><p>“Hey hey hey! Kenma!” Bokuto shouted, yellow eyes flashing as he grinned. “It’s been so long since we hung out that Kuroo said we could visit you! You live pretty close to downtown, so it didn’t even take us that long to walk here.”</p><p>“Why did you stop texting me?” Kenma asked Kuroo, ignoring Bokuto’s greeting.</p><p>“Sorry about that! My phone died,” he answered, pulling the dead electronic device from his pocket and moving toward the power strip of charging cords beneath the television. He leaned against the wall beside the entertainment center while Akaashi and Bokuto settled onto the couch.</p><p>“What’s that smell?” Bokuto looked around with a confused look on his face. He sniffed at the air, turning back and forth. “Something’s weird. Did you start using a new cleaner? Or a weird candle?”</p><p>“No,” Kenma glared at him. The loud man kept looking around, then seemed to get distracted by the few remaining pieces of food sitting below the monitors.</p><p>“Hey! Are those chicken nuggets? Can I have some? I’m hungry!”</p><p>“Bokuto, calm down,” Akaashi admonished him, placing a hand on his shoulder, as if to hold him down and keep him from leaping toward the plate on Kenma’s desk. Despite being two inches shorter and about forty pounds lighter, he seemed able to control the wilder man, always knowing exactly how to deal with each small shift in his mood or behavior.</p><p>“I’ll make some for you,” Kuroo said, moving toward the kitchenette. He paused and cocked his head at Kenma, considering him.</p><p>“What are you looking at, rooster?” the blond growled.</p><p>“Did you have a smoothie tonight?” he asked, though he seemed to know the answer, since he started pulling the ingredients from the refrigerator and freezer without waiting for a response.</p><p>“No. You weren’t here to make it.” Kenma slouched in his computer chair, frowning.</p><p>“You need your vitamins! You never make it yourself?” Kuroo asked, shaking his head. A minute later, the smaller man was clutching the cup between his fingers, rapidly draining it. He tried to hide how it satisfied the weird craving, unwilling to admit that Kuroo was right about his need for healthy servings of fruits and vegetables.</p><p>“I want a smoothie, too! Can I have one, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked eagerly, looking at his boyfriend, who smiled at his excitement.</p><p>“I’ll make some for all of us,” Kuroo chuckled. Bokuto leaped up, eager to help carry plates of nuggets so that they could all sit in front of the television to watch a show while they ate. The boisterous man sat on the floor at Akaashi’s feet, holding one of the plates on his lap and handing nuggets over his shoulder. Kuroo carried over more smoothies, handing one to Bokuto before joining Akaashi on the couch and passing one to him as well. Kenma squeezed between the dark-haired men and snuggled into the couch cushions, pulling his blanket tightly around him. He felt significantly less irritated than he had before, despite how loud Bokuto and Kuroo were being, making jokes and talking over the animated characters. He was hesitant to admit that he had missed Kuroo’s presence or that he needed the man, but he was comforted by the warmth that he brought into the space.</p><p>As the night went on, Kenma’s head drooped, resting against Kuroo’s arm as he spoke animatedly with Bokuto. Akaashi had one hand trailing absentmindedly through the loud man’s gray and black hair, watching the show intently and ignoring the conversation until Kuroo mentioned throwing a party the next weekend.</p><p>“I really want you two to come! You didn’t get to go to Hinata’s last week, so I wanted to make sure you don’t have another date planned before sending out invite texts and buying the liquor,” Kuroo said.</p><p>“I don’t think we have anything going on, right?” Bokuto looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. Akaashi still had a hand on his head, giving him a small smile.</p><p>“I was thinking about taking you to that new burger place Friday, but Saturday is completely free,” he responded.</p><p>“You were gonna surprise me? How sweet, Akaashi!” Bokuto gasped dramatically. He smiled and hugged his boyfriend’s legs while the dark-haired man shook his head and laughed.</p><p>“So Saturday, then!” Kuroo chuckled. “You guys can come over whenever you want. I should be around all day. Maybe you can help decorate!”</p><p>“Last time we helped decorate, Bokuto rearranged all the furniture in your apartment,” Akaashi reminded him.</p><p>“It’s because he has such cool stuff!” Bokuto shouted. “There are so many possibilities!”</p><p>“I don’t mind,” Kuroo said. “What about you, Kenma?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” the blond replied. “Are you inviting Shouyou?”</p><p>“Of course! A few other crows will be there, too. I’m thinking drinks and card games. Nothing too crazy, I promise.”</p><p>“Alright, fine.” Kenma yawned, pulling the blanket up to his chin. Before he knew it, he could feel his eyelids drooping closed. The deep voices of the men around him faded into the background, mingling with the nonsense of his dreams.</p><p>When he woke in the dark mid-morning hours, Kenma was in his bed, but he wasn’t alone. Kuroo was sprawled out beside him on his stomach, snoring softly into one of the many pillows. Kenma craned his neck to gaze at the other pair on the couch. Akaashi was laying on his back and Bokuto was between his open legs, head on his boyfriend’s chest and arms around the man’s narrow waist. Akaashi’s long fingers were tangled in the bigger man’s hair. The two had been dating since Akaashi graduated and started going to the same university, allowing them to live in the same city and truly pursue a relationship. It had been obvious that they cared for each other when they were in high school together, but Bokuto’s enthusiastic confessions were met with hesitation and concern about the future from the younger boy. The school year after Bokuto’s graduation had been filled with long-distance calls and desperate longing for one another. When he’d been accepted to the university that Bokuto was already going to, Akaashi had called Bokuto immediately. They had started dating soon after, moving in together as soon as Akaashi graduated high school and moved to the city.</p><p>Despite how rowdy Bokuto could be, Kenma actually liked both of them. There had been many times when he and Akaashi had spent hours hanging out while Kuroo and Bokuto got into trouble together. The calm, quiet man was a comforting change from the social expectations that he was often faced with. His wild boyfriend was very accepting as well, filling the silence and ignoring any awkwardness that threatened to overwhelm them. Kenma was also grateful that Kuroo had someone to have fun with in more exciting ways, despite how many times he assured the gamer that he didn’t mind sitting around and watching him play.</p><p>Kenma laid back down, staring at Kuroo. He listened to the man’s steady breathing, watched his back rise and fall with the easy tempo. They had slept in the same bed many times before, often when Kuroo was watching Kenma play video games when they were younger. He would fall asleep, long legs dangling off the edge of the bed, sleeping so deeply that Kenma was left with no choice but to crawl into the small space beside him when he finally got tired. Kuroo would always jokingly ask if those were the nights he slept best.</p><p>Kenma reached out, touching one of the spiky points of midnight-black hair on the other man’s head with a gentle fingertip. It was always softer than expected, considering how jagged it looked. He let his hand fall, then scooched closer until he could snuggle against Kuroo’s side.</p><p>He was too stubborn. He would never admit that the warmth of Kuroo’s body relaxed him more than anything else, allowing Kenma to slip back into a deep, comfortable sleep.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Game Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo's game night has some familiar faces, though a few are acting strangely.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A week later, Kenma stood in front of his closet. He tapped his feet, fidgeting as he considered his clothing options. He’d been sleeping so much lately that his laundry basket was overflowing. Waking up before the laundromat closed seemed nearly impossible, leaving him with few options for Kuroo’s party. Even on the day of the get-together, he hadn’t woken until the sun had set behind the horizon.</p><p>He finally pulled out some gray pants and a baggy black sweatshirt. After tucking his handheld game in the pocket of his sweatshirt and his phone, wallet, and keys in his pants, he set out for Kuroo’s.</p><p>Ordinarily, he would ask Kuroo to pick him up, but since the man was hosting, he decided to take a cab instead. He scrunched his nose at the strange smell that wafted out when he opened the door, forcing down a groan. He had enough money to afford a car of his own, but he drove so infrequently that it didn’t seem worth it until he was faced with a cab’s unsanitary surfaces. As he slid into the backseat of the car, he realized that he hadn’t been outside his apartment since Hinata’s party the week before. The city passed by outside, bustling with nightlife and brightly lit by the streetlights and windows of popular establishments.</p><p>When the cab came to a stop outside of Kuroo’s building, Kenma swiped his phone over a small device to pay and scrambled from the car. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. Akaashi answered.</p><p>“Hey, Kenma,” he greeted quietly.</p><p>“Where’s Kuroo?” Kenma asked, craning his neck in an attempt to peer over his shoulder.</p><p>“He’s in the living room with Bokuto. They’re trying to see if they can fit all the seats around one table, even though I’ve tried to tell them that some of us can sit on the floor.”</p><p>“Oh.” Kenma made no move to enter the apartment, making Akaashi raise an eyebrow.</p><p>“Did you want me to get him?” he asked.</p><p>“Yeah, if that’s alright,” Kenma mumbled, shuffling his feet nervously. Akaashi just nodded and left the door open, striding down the hallway and into the living room. Just as he disappeared from sight, Tsukishima came out of the bathroom, just near the front door. He gazed at Kenma through his dark frames, glancing down at his feet just outside the doorway.</p><p>“Waiting for something?” The tall blond smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s called being polite,” Kenma sneered.</p><p>“Just come inside.”</p><p>“It’s not your home. I’ll wait for Kuroo.” Tsukishima opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by the host himself.</p><p>“Kenma! Come inside! Almost everyone else is here, so come say hi! I see you’ve already greeted Tsukki,” he shouted as he waved him inside. Kenma blinked, feeling like the air had changed, slightly, but brushed it off and blamed it on the warmth of Kuroo’s apartment. Tsukishima grinned at him as they passed and turned to follow them. Kenma tried to ignore him and focus on the other party members.</p><p>Before he even reached the living room, he could hear Bokuto and Hinata talking excitedly about which games the group should play. When Nishinoya and Tanaka’s voices joined in, he sighed. So many high-energy people already. He prepared himself then stepped into the room. It usually had a sofa, a low table, and two armchairs. Now, it was crowded with people and more seats were being wedged into the spaces between the other furniture. The table was covered in cups of punch and decks of cards.</p><p>“Why does it feel like all of Karasuno is here?” Kenma muttered as he looked around. Daichi and Sugawara were on the couch, the latter tucked under the former’s arm. Kiyoko and Yachi were also squeezed onto the couch beside them, holding hands. Bokuto sat in one of the armchairs, pulling Akaashi into his lap and causing the quiet man to laugh. In another armchair, Hinata and Kageyama were arguing about whether they could fit together and who had been sitting in it first. Yamaguchi was in one of the chairs that had been pulled into the room from the dining area, Tanaka and Nishinoya were dragging in two more. Tsukishima moved past Kenma to stand beside Yamaguchi, one hand on the smaller man’s shoulder.</p><p>“Hey! Asahi isn’t here yet!” Nishinoya protested.</p><p>“I didn’t know this many people could even fit in Kuroo’s apartment,” Kenma commented. “I don’t even know where to sit.”</p><p>“There’s only one more chair, but you can sit on my lap if you want,” Kuroo’s voice made him turn, catching a glimpse of a smirk on the tall man’s face as he carried another chair into the room. The blond shook his head.</p><p>“Was that your plan all along?” he asked, eyes narrow.</p><p>“Actually, it’s not my fault so many people are here.”</p><p>“Oh, that was me!” Hinata’s face turned red. “Sorry! I just couldn’t help talking about it and everyone thought it sounded fun and then Kuroo said it was fine!”</p><p>“It’s ok, Shouyou,” Kenma smiled at him, making him sigh. Kuroo set his chair between the two armchairs, sitting and patting his leg in a welcoming gesture. After a short hesitation, Kenma gave in and perched carefully on one of the other man’s knees.</p><p>“You said Asahi is coming, too? Where’s he going to sit?” Kenma asked.</p><p>“On my lap!” Nishinoya laughed uproariously, Tanaka joining in. Kenma just shook his head again. “He’s been working really hard the past few months since we got back from his fashion tour in Europe, so I told him that he needed to take a night off. He’ll be here in a little bit.”</p><p>“I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen most of you!” Bokuto commented. A quick glance from Akaashi made him shrug. “I’m glad we get to hang out tonight, though! What are we playing? Can we start?”</p><p>“I got it!” Tanaka picked up some of the cards, expertly shuffling them before spreading them in a small circle around one of the cups on the table. “Everyone, grab a drink and we’ll play King’s Cup!”</p><p>After explaining the rules, they spent the next few hours laughing their way through the variety of mini-games and drinking scenarios that the game provided. They kept getting distracted with jokes and stories. Just as Nishinoya lost, groaning about drinking the entirety of the drink in the center of the cards, there was a knock at the door. The short brunette leaped for the entry, avoiding his punishment for the moment as he dragged his tall boyfriend into the crowded apartment.</p><p>“Sorry I’m late,” Asahi said meekly, waving nervously at everyone who shouted greetings in his directions. His long hair hung loose around his shoulders, framing his stubbled face. He shook his head when Tanaka offered him a drink. “No, I’m staying sober tonight. I can drive some people home, if they need.”</p><p>“If you don’t, there will be some sleeping on the floor,” Kuroo remarked, finishing his own drink. He lifted Kenma, setting him on the chair and making his way to the kitchen to refill his and Kenma’s cups. A few others got to their feet as well, taking advantage of the apparent break. Nishinoya hollered, chugging his punishment drink to Tanaka and Hinata’s wild cheers.</p><p>Kenma was feeling the buzz of his first drink, though he was also starting to feel a twinge of hunger in his gut. His gaze slid to the pair next to him, noticing a strange look on Bokuto’s face. He seemed confused, concentrating hard as if trying to comprehend something that he couldn’t quite understand. Akaashi was whispering rapidly to him, hands on his shoulders as if to hold him down. When the smaller man glanced over his shoulder, Kenma followed his gaze to Asahi. When he looked back, he caught Daichi’s eyes shifting between Bokuto and Asahi as well, though he didn’t understand what was going on between them all. Asahi seemed to be acting normally, if a bit sniffly and standoffish.</p><p>Kenma’s stomach twisted with hunger again, driving him to his feet. He wandered into the kitchen, where Kuroo was scooping punch from a bowl on the kitchen island into several people’s cups before filling his and Kenma’s. He looked up, hazel eyes meeting Kenma’s yellow ones. The blond opened one of the cabinets, pulling a bag of chips from the shelf and munching on them as he watched Tsukishima portion out more punch. The tall man sipped at it, leaning against the island for a moment.</p><p>“Hey, I had some stuff here, so I made your smoothie, if you want to drink it before we start another game,” Kuroo said, grabbing another cup off the counter and passing it to Kenma. He took it, sipping at the dark red liquid through the straw. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, staring for several long seconds before grinning widely.</p><p>“What?” Kenma asked, annoyed.</p><p>“Special kind of smoothie?” Tsukishima asked.</p><p>“It’s to make sure this nocturnal introvert gets all his vitamins and nutrients, that’s all,” Kuroo interjected.</p><p>“Oh, I’d love to try it,” he leaned forward with one elbow on the island, using his free hand to tap the top of the cup that Kenma was still drinking from. Kuroo swatted his hand away.</p><p>“Nah, that’s just for him. I can make you a different one, if you really want.”</p><p>“What’s the matter? Secret recipe, Kuroo? Why so defensive?” Tsukishima’s smirk grew wider, as if he was teasing him.</p><p>“Super-secret, skinny. Why? You interested in finally gaining some weight?” Kuroo teased back. The two tall men stared at each other for a moment, then the quiet was broken by loud slurping. Kenma set the cup down.</p><p>“Come on, I’m done anyway,” he mumbled, then grabbed his punch and followed Kuroo back toward the chair in the living room. He passed Yamaguchi going in the other direction, just barely hearing him call out to his boyfriend.</p><p>“Tsukki, are you alright? What are you doing? Are you hungry?”</p><p>“No, Tadashi. Later. Let’s just go play more games.” They came back into the living room together and sat down. Tsukishima sat in the chair while Yamaguchi settled onto a pillow on the floor between his feet, leaning back against the chair.</p><p>When everyone had made it back to their seats, Hinata was bouncing up and down, bumping into Kageyama and making him scowl.</p><p>“Can we play truth or dare?”</p><p>“That sounds like a great idea! Me first!” Tanaka shouted, leaping to his feet. “I choose dare! Somebody, dare me to do something!”</p><p>“I dare you to see how long you can hold a crow’s pose,” Sugawara suggested. Yamaguchi snickered.</p><p>“Nice one, Suga!” Daichi chuckled.</p><p>“Think I don’t do yoga, eh?” Tanaka pulled off his shirt, causing everyone to groan, then bent down to place his hands flat on the floor. He rested his knees on the backs of his elbows and leaned forward, balancing easily. “I gotta be strong and flexible for my goddess!”</p><p>Kiyoko smiled at him, pride obvious in her eyes. Everyone cheered as he held it for almost two minutes, finally rolling forward to land on his back. His feet hit the wall and he laid there laughing. When he righted himself, he pointed at Sugawara.</p><p>“Your turn! Truth or dare?”</p><p>“Truth,” the silver-haired man answered.</p><p>“What part of Daichi is your favorite?” Tsukishima asked with a smirk.</p><p>“Oh!” Sugawara blushed, glancing at the other man, who was glaring at Tsukishima. Sugawara laughed and winked, reaching out to pat his partner’s leg. “That’s easy! These thighs! Now it’s your turn.”</p><p>“Oh,” Tsukishima’s face fell and he rolled his eyes. “Truth.”</p><p>“Tell us how you confessed to Yamaguchi!” Kuroo shouted, leaning forward to poke him on the knee. “What did you do? Give us all the details!”</p><p>“Is that the best you can come up with?” Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “It was during our third year, a few weeks after Nationals ended. I got mugged on my way home from practice one night but managed to get home with only minor injuries. My mom was away visiting family and I didn’t want to bother her, so I asked Tadashi for help. He came over and helped me out, so I treated him to dinner a couple weeks later as a thank you. Sometime during that meal, it just came up. We both confessed to each other and started dating.”</p><p>Kenma cocked his head at Tsukishima. For some reason, he got the sense that the snarky man wasn’t sharing everything. It was like a faint stinging at the back of his nose, rather than a quantifiable cause for suspicion, so he didn’t say anything. He did notice that Yamaguchi had his hand on Tsukishima’s lower leg, tightly gripping the fabric of his pants, though. In the quiet that followed the blond man’s words, he thought he heard a faint, fast paced thumping. He also noticed that a few other people were staring at Tsukishima with interested expressions. Hinata quickly changed the atmosphere with his excited chattering, however.</p><p>“I remember that! You were out of practice for like two weeks! How cool that you confessed at the same time, though. I told Kageyama first and then he rejected me and I was depressed for like a month until he confessed back. I almost rejected him, too, but couldn’t.”</p><p>“Alright, shrimp, I’d like to not puke, so let’s stop talking about the love between you two,” Tsukishima teased. “It’s Kuroo’s turn, though, so I might puke anyway.”</p><p>“I’m already prepared for whatever you throw at me!” Kuroo yelled, setting down his cup. “I choose dare!”</p><p>“I dare you to give Bokuto a lap dance,” Daichi said with a grin, making everyone burst into laughter. Kenma and Akaashi stood, stepping to the side so that Kuroo had plenty of space. Kuroo pressed a button on a remote, turning on music on the speakers around the living room. The rest of the night passed with similar shenanigans and mirth and drinking, finally coming to an end when Yachi and Hinata were dozing off, just as everyone could see that the sun was beginning to lighten the sky. Kiyoko called a cab for her, Tanaka, and Yachi, while Asahi wrangled Nishinoya, Daichi, and Sugawara to his own car in order to drive them home. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi waved goodbye and disappeared into the night, walking home since they lived close by. Bokuto and Akaashi claimed the sofa, tangled together under a soft blanket with Akaashi using his boyfriend’s chest as a pillow. Hinata and Kageyama quickly fell asleep on sleeping mats once the chairs were placed back in the kitchen and the table was pushed against the wall.</p><p>“Come on, Kenma,” Kuroo said softly. The blond yawned and nodded, following Kuroo to his bedroom. The only other bed he tolerated sleeping in besides his own was Kuroo’s. He rubbed his eyes as his friend dug a huge, oversized t-shirt from his dresser and handed it to him. When he left to check on his other guests and finish cleaning up, Kenma changed and climbed into the bed. He burrowed under the sheets and sighed, letting his body relax and sink into the soft mattress. Sleep came so quickly that he didn’t even notice that Kuroo returned and joined him in the bed, nor that the man watched him sleep for a long time before closing his own hazel eyes.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Desperation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Something is wrong, but Kenma can't figure out what.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Almost two weeks later, Kenma was doing another stream when he received a text from Kuroo. It was a hastily typed apology, telling him that there had been an emergency at work and that he wouldn’t be able to come by that night. Kenma frowned as he set his phone back down. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed the man’s company in recent weeks until the silence left behind by his absence pressed down on him.</p><p>They had grown apart since high school, only seeing each other every couple weeks or so. Kuroo was too busy with school, work, and whatever girl he had on his arm that month while Kenma was buried in his games and online classes. They were just different people, running in different circles and mostly seeing each other when old volleyball friends got together.</p><p>The past several weeks had been different, though. It was like their friendship had regained the spark that had been fading. Kenma didn’t want to get his hopes up, but his heart leapt unconsciously at the thought of being so close again.</p><p>He tried to focus on the game that he was playing – a new first-person shooter game that had been praised for its detailed graphics and realistic gore. In this case, he was also being paid to give an honest review of the game as he played, providing reactions to each of the features and his assessment of the game overall. Some game companies considered him a risk, since his reactions tended to be muted and his reviews critical, but his honesty provided a clarity that many viewers appreciated. In addition, whenever he had a positive reaction, the game did particularly well.</p><p>It was a good game, living up to the hype that he’d read about it. The controls were simple and the quests were interesting enough that they weren’t repetitive. As the night went on, however, Kenma found it more difficult to focus, fidgeting more and more. He felt irritation bubbling up within him like a steadily rising fever. He snacked more than usual, consuming several bags of chips and two plates of chicken nuggets. He found himself drinking more water, even retrieving an extra energy drink to combat the tiredness he felt creeping in. Finally, he signed off with the promise to continue playing in his next stream and stumbled to his bed, barely able to turn off the light before falling asleep, face still twisted into a frown.</p><p>When he woke the next evening, he was ravenous and ill-tempered. It was a bit earlier than he usually got up, setting sun making the edges of the blackout curtains glow with orange light that felt piercing to his burning eyes. Kenma slid from beneath his heavy blanket and let his stomach drag him to the kitchen, muttering angrily and clenching his teeth. His mouth felt strangely sore, causing him to run his tongue across his gums over and over. </p><p>He pulled open the refrigerator, searching and considering what might satisfy the monstrous growling of his gut. Chicken nuggets were piled onto a plate and thrown into the microwave. While they cooked, Kenma drank an entire energy drink in one go, trying to drive the exhaustion from his limbs. When the microwave beeped, he could hardly make it to the table before shoveling the food down his throat. In no time, the plate was empty but he still felt the grumbling sensation that made him feel like he hadn’t consumed anything.</p><p>He returned to the refrigerator, eyes scanning the contents and falling on the large bottle of vegetable juice on the bottom shelf. There were a few drops of the thick, dark red liquid on the side of the bottle, just below the lid, as if they had dribbled down the last time it had been poured. Somehow, Kenma could smell it and knew that it was the solution to his craving. He grabbed the bottle, twisting the cap off and putting the rim to his lips. When the juice hit his tongue, there was a sense of overwhelming relief. He sank to the floor, sitting in front of the open refrigerator as he drained the entire bottle. When he finished, he let the bottle fall to the floor beside him and sighed contentedly. Despite the slightly strange aftertaste, it was as if the juice had washed away his hunger, his exhaustion, even the irritability that had been seething below the surface.</p><p>“Kenma?” He looked up to see Kuroo standing just inside the front door, staring at him worriedly.</p><p>“Kuroo! I didn’t even hear you come in,” Kenma remarked. He considered how he must look, sitting on the floor and chugging vegetable juice. He wiped at his face, realizing that he had been so eager that a few drops of red liquid had dribbled down his chin. “Sorry, I woke up and I was just really hungry. Guess we can’t have smoothies tonight.”</p><p>“I can go get more juice before the store closes,” the tall man replied. Kenma cocked his head. He thought he sensed a tremble in Kuroo’s voice and, for just a moment, imagined that he could hear the rapid pattering of his heart.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Kenma asked him.</p><p>“Of course!” Kuroo laughed, but there was still a nervous twinge in his voice. He hesitated, as if considering something, before shaking his head and giving a small laugh. “I’ll go get more juice. I’ll be back soon.”</p><p>“Alright, sure. I’ll order food so that it’s here when you get back.”</p><p>“Sounds great.” Kuroo slipped back out the door, leaving Kenma still sitting on the floor, considering his friend’s strange behavior. Maybe he had found a new partner and was nervous about telling him? Kenma was often critical of the people that he dated and he usually spoke his mind. Either way, it was obvious that Kuroo had a secret. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to pry a secret from that man without some sort of blackmail or bribery. Kenma shrugged. He would just have to wait until his friend was ready to tell him, though it irked him that there was something that the lanky idiot thought he couldn’t share.</p><p>Kenma got to his feet, feeling better than he had in a few weeks. He set the empty bottle on the counter, used his phone to order some food to be delivered, then decided to shower before Kuroo came back.</p><p>When he emerged from the steamy bathroom, feeling refreshed, he retrieved the food that had been left outside his door and sat on the couch to wait for his friend. He turned on the television, flipping through channels in search of something to ease the strange feeling within him. He felt strangely energized, as if he’d been shot through with adrenaline. Every sense, thought, and emotion felt more intense than before. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing mind.</p><p>His finger paused on the remote button when a dramatic black and white scene caught his eye. An old movie that he remembered seeing as a child. He’d been fascinated with the lack of color, amazed that so much emotion could be captured without it. It felt classic, refined, as if it didn’t rely on gaudy splashes of vibrancy to be exciting and engaging.</p><p>A man in a dark cloak. A pale neck. Fangs flashed and when the man rose to look at the camera, dark blood dribbled down his chin. Kenma’s fingertips brushed his lips, lingering on his own chin. Why did the look on Dracula’s face feel familiar?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Panic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Seeing Kenma that way... Kuroo is desperate for answers. He finds some, but not the ones he was looking for.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on,” Kuroo muttered, tapping at the screen of his phone rapidly before sighing and letting his arm fall to his side. Alisa wasn’t replying to his messages. It was very likely that she had blocked him. He groaned in frustration. It was his fault – he knew and accepted that – but he would have appreciated her help with such a situation. She had given him such basic information before dragging Lev onto the plane, leaving him with so many unanswered questions and worrying concerns. Who else could he turn to?</p><p>His next thought was Bokuto, though he wasn’t sure how the wild man would be any assistance. Then his mind turned to Akaashi. As the manager of a popular local bookstore, it was possible that he could direct him to some books that could provide information or some lore that could help him understand what Kenma was going through, at the very least.</p><p>Just as Kuroo pulled up Akaashi’s contact information in order to call him, the phone died. He groaned again, remembering that he didn’t have a charger handy.</p><p>“I guess I’ll just drive over to their house,” he said to himself, climbing into his car. The pair lived in a small house near the edge of the city. It had a large field behind it, with wide yards on each side separating them from their neighbors. When the weather was nice, it was a great spot to have a barbeque or toss a volleyball around with friends, which made the property worth the distance from the city center.</p><p>As he approached the front door, he thought he could hear the faint sound of chains rattling. When he knocked, the sound got louder and he could have sworn that he heard an animal. Bokuto and Akaashi didn’t have any pets, though, so he was immediately worried that some wild animal had found its way into their home. He heard a door slam closed, then the door in front of him cracked open. Akaashi peered out at him, sweat beaded on his brow.</p><p>“Kuroo? What are you doing here?” Akaashi asked, voice strained.</p><p>“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something, actually,” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck. “I would have called first, but my phone died. It’s kind of important, so I just drove out here to see if you were busy.”</p><p>“Oh, uh…” Akaashi grimaced, still keeping the door only open a few inches. “Tonight is one of our date nights, so we’re staying in and spending some quality time together.”</p><p>“Ah!” Kuroo laughed, waving his hands. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt anything!”</p><p>“Right,” Akaashi chuckled, blushing at the implication. “It’s alright. Maybe we can talk tomorrow? We can meet up for coffee and-”</p><p>Suddenly, a loud crash cut him off, accompanied by the metallic rattle of chains. Kuroo opened his mouth, caught between a joke and earnest concern, but wasn’t even given the chance to say anything. There was a roar that caused Akaashi to pale, fear obvious on his face.</p><p>“That came from inside! What’s going on?!” Kuroo asked, alarmed. Akaashi turned, trying to push the front door closed as he ran toward the noise. Kuroo’s hand shot out, catching it and pushing it open. He slammed the door closed and raced after Akaashi, following him down the hall to the kitchen, where the door to the basement was lying across the floor in splintered pieces. Standing in the wreckage was a large wolf, a low growl rumbling from his throat. His silver fur was standing on end, streaked through with darker gray. His lip was pulled back to reveal brilliant white fangs below his glowing yellow eyes, snarling at Akaashi, who stood with his hands out in front of him. Kuroo slid to a stop several feet behind him, watching with fascination. The area wasn’t known for its wolf population, especially creatures this large and this close to the city. How had it gotten into the house in the first place?</p><p>“Easy now… It’s me, I’m here... Easy now…” Akaashi murmured in a low, comforting voice. Sweat dripped down his face and he trembled slightly, revealing how tense he truly was. “Easy… Calm… Control it... Breathe... You’re fine... Easy…”</p><p>Very slowly, the wolf let his lip relax to cover his sharp teeth and lowered his head slightly, though he seemed to remain tense. The steady growl continued, eyes that shone like gold never wavering from Akaashi’s face.</p><p>Kuroo wondered if he should try to call for animal control but remembered that his dead phone wouldn’t be much help. He opened his mouth to ask Akaashi if there was anything he could do but thought better of it when he considered how the wolf might react to unexpected noise or movement. He waited, watching them. After a while, Akaashi glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed, relaxing slightly.</p><p>“Just a few more minutes…” His voice was still low and calm. “Easy… Breathe… Think you can move back downstairs? It’s almost time… Soon… I’m here...”</p><p>The growl finally faded and the wolf huffed, eyes moving to the doorway behind him. He gave a soft whine, looking back at Akaashi and panting.</p><p>“I’ll be right behind you,” Akaashi assured him. The wolf turned and stepped gingerly through the crushed pieces of wood to make his way into the basement. It was only when he moved that Kuroo noticed the dull gray chains that were draped around the animal, dragging on the floor when he moved. As his tail disappeared into the darkness, Akaashi looked over his shoulder at Kuroo.</p><p>“What the hell?” Kuroo whispered.</p><p>“Make yourself comfortable in the living room. We’ll explain everything.” Then Akaashi followed the wolf into the basement, his deep voice murmuring soft words of comfort as he went. A mixture of whining and growling could be heard, combined with the rattle of chains that Kuroo had heard before. He decided to trust Akaashi, taking a seat on the small sofa in the other room and doing his best to ignore the sounds that he heard over the next hour. There was a howl that sounded a bit like the roar from before, but there was something different about it. Kuroo shivered. It was as if the cry was full of pain and frustration, an agonized shout that sounded much too human when it finally came to a sharp end.</p><p>Several minutes later, Akaashi stepped into the room. He rubbed his face and sighed before meeting Kuroo’s gaze.</p><p>“I texted Kenma. He was worried about you. I told him that an emergency came up and you’re helping me and that your phone died.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Kuroo replied. “Now, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”</p><p>“It’s a bit complicated,” Akaashi said, fiddling nervously with his fingers. Just then, Bokuto wandered into the room wearing just a ragged pair of sweatpants low on his hips. His hair wasn’t sticking up like how he usually styled it; instead, it was messily hanging down over his forehead. His entire body looked dirty and he moved with a stiffness that indicated sore muscles. He was holding an entire cooked steak in his hand, tearing pieces off with his teeth.</p><p>“Ugh, this one was rough. Sorry about that door, Akaashi! I’ll get a new one this week. And we should get better stuff to secure the chains - maybe even get stronger ones, too,” he mumbled through a mouth full of meat. He stopped abruptly when he saw Kuroo, eyes wide. “Hey hey hey! I forgot Kuroo was here!”</p><p>Akaashi sighed again as Kuroo stared at Bokuto, brain trying to process what he surely already knew, but was hesitant to believe.</p><p>“No fucking way,” he said, shaking his head. He couldn’t seem to say the words out loud, so he was glad when Akaashi finally did.</p><p>“Bokuto is a werewolf.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Advice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>From one human companion to another, with a sprinkle of education about a supernatural species.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re a werewolf?!” Kuroo shouted as he paced back and forth across the pair’s living room. He ran a hand through his hair, as he had been doing for several minutes, messing it up even further. “How long? How did I miss that?”</p><p>“I’m sorry, bro!” Bokuto drooped on the couch beside Akaashi, looking like he was about to cry. The smaller man rubbed his bare back comfortingly.</p><p>“He was bitten right after I got promoted, when we went out to celebrate. You took Kenma home early, but Bo and I stayed out. Remember?” Akaashi raised an eyebrow at the lanky man. “He and I took a walk through the park and got attacked. Bo protected me and got bit by what we thought was a huge dog. A couple weeks later, I was with him when he turned for the first time, and I have been every time after that.”</p><p>“Almost a whole year ago? I can’t believe I didn’t catch on!”</p><p>“Well, it’s only one night per month and Bokuto was already like a giant puppy, so that part of his behavior didn’t change much. I’ve helped him keep it under control. I’m more surprised that you didn’t notice his fangs.”</p><p>“You have fangs?”</p><p>“Yeah!” Bokuto opened his mouth wide, baring his teeth to show off sharp canines on both the top and bottom jaws. “They stayed after the first transformation. They took some getting used to, but no one seems to notice them.”</p><p>“That’s insane!” Kuroo shook his head and turned back to Akaashi. “Well, as a fellow human companion to a supernatural creature, I need your help!”</p><p>“Bro!” Bokuto perked up, yellow eyes wide as dinner plates. “Who?!”</p><p>“Kenma’s been a fucking vampire for a month!” Kuroo waved his arms and resumed pacing.</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me, bro?” Bokuto cried out, apparently forgetting that he’d kept his own supernatural species a secret until just minutes prior.</p><p>“Bro, you’re the only people I’ve told! Kenma doesn’t even know yet!”</p><p>“Awww, bro!” As quickly as he’d gotten upset, Bokuto seemed delighted. He leaped up to wrap Kuroo in a tight hug, making him gasp.</p><p>“Wait, why doesn’t Kenma know that he’s a vampire?” Akaashi furrowed his brow in confusion, still sitting on the couch.</p><p>“Oh, that’s because my ex-girlfriend’s dumbass brother turned him by accident at Hinata’s party and he just hasn’t noticed yet,” Kuroo wheezed. “I barely managed to squeeze an explanation out of her right before she dragged the stupid brother onto a plane to Russia the next day and blocked me. She gave me some basic information, but it still feels like I’m guessing a lot of the time.”</p><p>Akaashi stood, grasping Bokuto’s shoulder and pulling him off of Kuroo. He pushed him onto the couch.</p><p>“Let him breathe. We have to hear this.”</p><p>“But Akaashi!” The big man whined and pouted.</p><p>“Sit. Stay.” Akaashi tapped him on the forehead with each word. Bokuto slouched, huffing and pouting, but remaining on the couch as he had been told. Kuroo watched the interaction with fascination. Akaashi turned back to him and crossed his arms. “How have you been dealing with it? How has he not noticed any of the symptoms? Even I noticed that something was off, though Bokuto was somewhat oblivious.”</p><p>“Well, the transformation was just sleeping for twenty-four hours and he thought he was hungover. He’s already nocturnal, so he hasn’t gone out in sunlight yet, though apparently it doesn’t burn a vampire up as much as weaken them the longer they’re out in it. He’s always hated garlic, so there’s never any in his food. Alisa said it’s not necessarily toxic, but it gives a hell of a stomach ache.”</p><p>“What about the blood drinking?”</p><p>“I’ve been adding some blood to the smoothies I make him every night. Not a lot, but some. He hasn’t noticed the difference, apparently. I’m over there almost every day since Alisa and I broke up, so I can keep it pretty consistent.”</p><p>“Whose blood?”</p><p>“Uh… mine?” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone and it’s kind of my fault. I’m not sure where else to get any, so I’ve just been stealing some needles from my internship and drawing some every few days.”</p><p>“That can’t be easy,” Akaashi commented.</p><p>“It’s exhausting, but what else am I supposed to do? Alisa said that if a vampire goes too long without blood, they can go feral until they feed enough. I’ve been late like twice and he just got grumpy until he drank a smoothie later in the night. The issue was that I missed last night because of a work emergency and he got desperate enough that he drank the whole bottle of vegetable juice tonight, which is what I had mixed the blood into. I’m worried that he’s not getting enough, but I don’t know what to do.”</p><p>“I think you should tell him.”</p><p>“What?” Kuroo looked at Akaashi in shock.</p><p>“He might be able to find solutions on his own. At the very least, he should know what’s happening to his own body and be prepared for how it will inevitably change his life.”</p><p>“I just know that he’s not going to take it well,” Kuroo mumbled, slouching into a chair and sighing. “He hates when I keep things from him. I shouldn’t have, but I keep feeling a ton of guilt about what happened to him. I know it’s my fault. I was dating Alisa and I didn’t even know; she hid it so well.”</p><p>“I felt the same way for a long time,” Akaashi said, making Kuroo pause. Bokuto reached out to take one of Akaashi’s hands in his own, stopping him from tugging at his nails. He glanced down at his boyfriend with a grateful look, then continued. “I was the one who suggested walking in the park. I was the one that the other werewolf came after. When we discovered what had happened, I felt so guilty. Bokuto helped me realize the truth.”</p><p>They were all quiet for a while, contemplating the new realities that had come to light. More supernatural creatures among them, making them all wonder how many were truly out there. Finally, Kuroo spoke.</p><p>“I’ll tell him tomorrow,” he said, sitting heavily on the sofa beside Bokuto to punctuate his declaration. After a pause, he turned to the pair. “Who else knows about this werewolf thing?”</p><p>“No one,” Akaashi answered, sitting on the other side of Bokuto, still holding his hand.</p><p>“Bro,” Kuroo grinned at Bokuto. “You have to tell me all about it!”</p><p>“Of course!” Bokuto perked up, bright eyes shining, obviously excited to share his experiences with someone new. “Shifting hurts like hell, so I thought I was dying when it started the first time. It’s like all of my bones are breaking and the skin and muscles are tearing, all to shift into something new. I don’t know if I could handle it without Akaashi!”</p><p>“How long does the transformation take?”</p><p>“It’s shorter and shorter each time. The first time, it took hours and I was only in my wolf form for like fifteen minutes before I started shifting back. Now it only takes about thirty minutes to totally transform.”</p><p>“How long does the whole transformation last? I figured it would be all night.”</p><p>“Oh, Akaashi kept track of it and figured out that it depends on when the full moon is at its peak! I start shifting four hours before the peak and finish shifting back four hours after.”</p><p>“What’s it like being a badass wolf? Is it weird?” Kuroo watched Bokuto’s face twist, as if he couldn’t decide whether to be ashamed or frustrated.</p><p>“It’s actually been really difficult. There was basically no control at first and I almost bit Akaashi the first time. It was terrifying.” He looked down at Akaashi’s hand, grasping it in both of his and brushing his thumb over the smooth, pale fingers. He brought the hand to his lips and kissed the man’s knuckles. “I could never hurt him, though, so I was able to hold back and control myself until I started shifting back. There’s a bit more control during the shifting than when I’m in the wolf form. I’ve been working on holding myself back, but it takes a lot of focus to not just give in and go crazy. Akaashi helps, like you saw, and we’ve been using the chains to restrain me but they broke tonight when I tried to go find him. With time and experience comes more strength, I guess.”</p><p>“You freaked out a bit tonight,” Akaashi remarked.</p><p>“I know!” Bokuto shouted, pulling Akaashi into his arms and nuzzling his face into the man’s neck. “You keep me grounded, Keiji, especially when I shift. I haven’t gotten used to doing it on my own.”</p><p>“So it was my fault!” Kuroo grimaced. “Sorry about that.”</p><p>“No, we had to test it at some point,” Akaashi assured him, ruffling Bokuto’s messy hair with a small smile. “I’m just glad he was able to regain control of himself again or things could have ended badly. Contrary to popular belief, Bokuto has an incredible amount of control over himself.”</p><p>“When it’s important,” Bokuto cut in. He stood suddenly, stretching his arms over his head. “I gotta go shower and then I’ll probably pass out. Shifting is exhausting. Are you staying, Kuroo? It’s pretty late and the guest bedroom is free if you want.”</p><p>“I’ll take you up on that. I don’t have class or work tomorrow, so I’ll go straight to Kenma’s to talk about the whole vampire situation.” Kuroo leaned back and smirked. “Wanna take bets on his reaction?”</p><p>“I’ll bet two shots that he breaks something,” Bokuto chuckled. “Whether that’s a piece of furniture or one of your bones, I guess we’ll see.”</p><p>“I think he won’t believe you,” Akaashi said, then looked thoughtful. “Or he’ll call Hinata and talk to him about it.”</p><p>“My guess is that it will go smoothly and he won’t even mind being an immortal bloodsucker,” Kuroo said.</p><p>“Is that a guess or a dream?” Bokuto teased. Kuroo jumped up and smacked him on the arm, making him laugh. Then he turned and gestured to Akaashi with one finger. “Come on, Keiji. Shower with me!”</p><p>“You stink,” the smaller man protested, rolling his eyes and shaking his head when his boyfriend pouted. “I’ll be there in a minute.”</p><p>After Bokuto left the room, Akaashi stood and pulled open a drawer. He handed Kuroo a charging cord for his phone.</p><p>“I don’t envy the conversation you’ll have to have tomorrow, but I think it’ll be better once it’s all over with. Bokuto doesn’t want to tell people about being a werewolf, but I’ll ask him if you can tell Kenma about it. It might help him feel less alone.” Akaashi turned, striding toward the master suite. “Turn off the light when you go to bed, alright?”</p><p>“Will do! Have a good night, Akaashi,” Kuroo called, laughing. He yawned, hitting the light switch as he made his way to the small bedroom at the back of the house. He had slept in it many times since they first started living there, crashing after parties and nights of shenanigans with Bokuto. They were truly some of his closest friends, especially with all these new developments coming to light. He plugged in his phone and then flopped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn’t come easy – it never did when he was nervous about something. He was pretty good at keeping it under wraps when he was anxious so that no one else would worry about him, but the inability to fall asleep always gave him away.</p><p>If he was honest with himself, he wasn’t just nervous. He was terrified. He blew out a frustrated breath in a huff. It had been stupid to keep Kenma’s transformation from him, especially for so long. There was no telling how he would react, but Kuroo knew that it wouldn’t be good. A chill ran down his spine, making him shiver. If he lost Kenma over this, he would never forgive himself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Not Alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An unlikely source brings Kenma a long-overdue epiphany.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After receiving the vague text messages from Akaashi about an emergency that required Kuroo’s assistance, Kenma tried to turn his attention to the game he had chosen for the night. He couldn’t seem to focus, however. It was as if his senses were on high alert. Everything was amplified – every flash of the television screen was brighter, every color was more vibrant, every click of the controller in his hands was louder. Even the scents were more pungent; he could smell his shampoo and the sweat on his dirty laundry by the bed and the sauce in the takeout container still sitting on the table.</p><p>When his phone buzzed, he nearly jumped out of his skin. It was a text from someone unexpected.</p><p> </p><p>Tsukishima:</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; Are you busy? I’d like to have a chat.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>What would Tsukishima want to chat about? He hardly ever reached out directly. It was usually Yamaguchi that was the friendly, social one. Kenma considered for several long seconds before sending only his address as a reply.</p><p>A little while later, there was a knock at the door. Kenma opened it to find Tsukishima standing outside.</p><p>“No Yamaguchi?” Kenma asked, looking around. Tsukishima rolled his eyes.</p><p>“No. We aren’t actually connected at the hip. Besides, I wanted to talk to you alone.” The tall man cocked his head. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”</p><p>Kenma held the door open, but Tsukishima made no move to walk past him. He waited with an expectant look on his face. Was he making fun of the way that Kenma had waited for Kuroo to let him in at the game night?</p><p>“Come in,” Kenma said with a small huff. Tsukishima nodded and strode through the door, looking around at the small apartment. His gaze hovered on the empty vegetable juice bottle for several seconds before he continued his examination. Kenma gestured to the couch as he sat on it, picking up the controller once more. “You can sit if you want. I was just playing video games.”</p><p>“Thanks,” he replied, taking a seat. He watched Kenma play for a few minutes, occasionally glancing at his face with a curious expression. It was obvious that Tsukishima wanted to say something.</p><p>“What did you want to talk about?” Kenma asked, watching him from the corner of his eye.</p><p>“Well, Tadashi has been bugging me about saying something since Kuroo’s game night, but I’m hesitant,” Tsukishima said bluntly. He leaned back against the cushions, raising an eyebrow at Kenma.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“I can’t tell if you’re in denial or just trying to keep the secret of what you’ve become.” Kenma paused his game and turned to look at his guest, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed in confusion.</p><p>“What do you think I’ve become?” he asked.</p><p>“A vampire.” Tsukishima’s face was completely straight when he said it, but Kenma hoped he was joking. He rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Very funny.” He turned back to his game, but Tsukishima leaned forward to put one finger on the controller.</p><p>“I’m serious.”</p><p>“That’s ridiculous! I’m not a vampire! I think I would know if I became a supernatural leech,” Kenma grunted.</p><p>“Oh? So have you always waited to be invited into Kuroo’s home? When’s the last time you were out in the sunlight? Are you nocturnal now?”</p><p>“I was being polite, you asshole. I don’t like going out, everyone knows that. And my sleep schedule is none of your business.”</p><p>“Has your hearing gotten better? Can you see better in the dark? What about your sense of smell?”</p><p>“I… Well…” Kenma stammered, remembering moments that he’d been overwhelmed by sounds or smells or lights that had seemed too vibrant or bright or irritating.</p><p>“What about the blood? Have you always drank it or is that just a weird thing that you and Kuroo do sometimes?”</p><p>“Blood?” Kenma blinked at him, bewildered by the accusation.</p><p>“Yes, the blood,” Tsukishima said, getting to his feet. He strode to the kitchen to grab the vegetable juice bottle and held it up for Kenma to see.</p><p>“That was vegetable juice, you nut,” Kenma sneered.</p><p>“Wow, you’re hopeless. Are you brand new? How do you not recognize it? Are you so deep in denial that you can’t tell?” Tsukishima carried the bottle over and held it out. “Take a nice, deep whiff and tell me that you don’t smell that. I smelled it when it was mixed into the smoothie at Kuroo’s but didn’t want to cause a scene.”</p><p>Kenma rolled his eyes again but leaned forward and sniffed at the bottle’s opening. He opened his mouth to toss a sarcastic comment at the tall jerk when the scent hit him, subtle underneath the tomato juice. It gave him a flashback to when he had cut his hand while chopping vegetables once, bringing the finger to his lips in an attempt to ease the pain. The sickly sweet scent of blood was faint, but with his sense of smell amplified the way it was, he could finally discern it. His eyes widened as he realized that he had indeed been drinking blood.</p><p>“What… How…” he stammered, gaping up at Tsukishima. The other man looked smug as Kenma struggled with this information.</p><p>“Open your mouth,” Tsukishima ordered, setting the bottle on the floor as he sat on the couch again. Kenma hesitated, then did as he was told. Tsukishima’s long fingers were gentle as they lifted his upper lip and poked at his gums. He nodded, then removed his hands from Kenma’s face. “That’s the best confirmation there. You really are new, though. You haven’t actually used your fangs yet.”</p><p>“Fangs?” Kenma’s hand reached shakily for his mouth, feeling at the spots where Tsukishima had just checked and finding lumps in his gums above each canine.</p><p>“Vampires only use them when they go feral, feed on a person, or purposefully make them descend. If they’re drinking the blood from a cup or bottle or bag, the fangs stay retracted. The first time they descend is painful because they’re breaking through for the first time. Vampires have advanced healing, so as long as you leave your fangs out long enough, your gums will heal around them and it won’t hurt after that.”</p><p>“Wait, how do you know all this?” Kenma was still processing, still trying to understand what was going on. Tsukishima responded by lifting his own lip. Kenma stared with wide eyes as two pearly white fangs slid down out of his gums overtop of his human canines. They came to precise points, sharper than any teeth he had ever seen. They slid back in and Tsukishima let go of his lip, scrunching his face for a short moment.</p><p>“Remember that mugging I mentioned at Kuroo’s game night? It wasn’t just a mugging. I barely got out alive, surviving with Tadashi’s help, but I ended up like this. So, when I noticed the signs, I thought it was hilarious that it was you. I thought you were just doing a terrible job of hiding it and didn’t want to say anything to me.” Tsukishima smirked, making Kenma scoff and turn away. “How were you so oblivious to the symptoms?”</p><p>“It just wasn’t very obvious,” he muttered.</p><p>“Then how did Kuroo know to put blood in some smoothies for you?”</p><p>“I don’t know.” They sat in silence for a few minutes, both lost in thought.</p><p>“Do you have any idea when you turned?” Tsukishima asked after a while.</p><p>“I’m not sure. What’s the transformation like?” Kenma leaned forward and put his head in his hands. “There’s so much I don’t know.”</p><p>“In my case, blood to blood contact. I’ve met a couple other vampires who mentioned consuming the blood of a vampire turned them. Either way, you sleep like you’re in a coma for 24 hours and wake up as a vampire, usually feeling like shit until you feed.”</p><p>“Oh,” Kenma thought of the day after Hinata’s party, when he’d slept until past midnight and woken feeling strange. It was exactly like Tsukishima was describing. “Hinata’s last party.”</p><p>“Tadashi said that you were in some kind of fight. I was there, but I didn’t see. Who was it with?”</p><p>“His name was Lev. The brother of Kuroo’s girlfriend – well, girlfriend at the time. He took my game and I was drunk and I got mad and I bit him…” Kenma trailed off, then leaped to his feet. “I bit him! He took my game and I was drunk and I got mad and I bit him so hard that there was blood! He was a vampire! Lev was a vampire!”</p><p>“Was that the tall, annoying one? Silver hair? I remember the sister, too,” Tsukishima appeared thoughtful. “I bet she’s a vampire as well.”</p><p>“That’s how Kuroo knew? He was dating a vampire?!” Kenma shook his head, more agitated than he’d been in a while.</p><p>“It’s interesting that he didn’t mention it, especially to you.”</p><p>Kenma grabbed his phone from the couch, pressing the call button before remembering that Kuroo’s phone was dead. He rapidly typed several text messages to him, angrily questioning him. He knew that the man likely wouldn’t see them for hours – possibly not even until morning – but it made him feel a bit better to send them. With a huff, he plopped onto the couch.</p><p>“How much blood have you been drinking?” Tsukishima asked. He leaned back, intertwining his fingers behind his head. He spoke in a calm, even voice, as if he was discussing the weather rather than what it was like to be a supernatural creature. “Kuroo said that you’re a nocturnal introvert, so I doubt you’ve been exerting yourself, but if you’re not consuming enough, it could be dangerous. You’ll get irritable and hungry, eventually turning ravenous, then going feral and attacking the next human you come across. It makes it more difficult to control yourself when you’re feeding, too, though that’s already difficult when you’re new.”</p><p>“Feeding on a person sounds…” Kenma looked away. He couldn’t decide if he was intrigued or disgusted. Of course, the first person he considered was Kuroo, but he quickly pushed the man from his mind, still furious with him.</p><p>“It takes some getting used to,” Tsukishima agreed. “Another thing Tadashi is good for, though. He’s not squeamish and he stays healthy. He’s small, though, so I have to supplement my diet.”</p><p>“How?” Kenma asked, though he figured he could guess.</p><p>“I’ve connected with a few people on the internet who are obsessed with vampires, thanks to the popular books, movies, and shows that have come out recently.” Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “One of the vampires I met when I moved to the city set up a website for it. Sometimes they can be a bit strange, but they actually enjoy being fed on. I found a handful of regulars so that none of them are affected too much.”</p><p>“Strangers? I don’t think I could do that,” Kenma sighed.</p><p>“Then you’ll have to find other people you trust to keep the secret.”</p><p>“I trust Shouyou,” he said quickly. Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but Kenma was already sending Hinata a text message. Seconds later, a loud, cheerful song was indicating an incoming call from the ginger man.</p><p>“Hi Kenma!” Hinata shouted the moment Kenma answered the call. Despite not being on speaker, his voice could be heard clearly by Tsukishima as well. “What did you want to talk about?”</p><p>“Hi Shouyou,” Kenma greeted him. He hesitated, unsure of how to continue. He hadn’t been prepared for such a rapid response. “I have an unusual request.”</p><p>“Sure! What is it?”</p><p>“Can I drink your blood?” Kenma asked. Tsukishima slapped his forehead with an exasperated sigh.</p><p>“Oh! Are you a vampire like Tsukki?” Kenma looked at the thin man, who had an expression on his face that seemed to hover between confusion and anger.</p><p>“How do you know about Tsukishima?”</p><p>“Uh… Kageyama and I overheard Yamaguchi and him talking one time when we had a party and they said something about feeding and blood and we figured it out.”</p><p>“I’m impressed that they were able to put the clues together. What brilliant detectives,” Tsukishima grunted, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Is that Tsukishima? Is he there? Are you having a vampire hangout? That’s so cool!” Hinata sounded like he was jumping up and down, voice bouncing with the words.</p><p>“Sort of. He was telling me about being a vampire because… Well, I just realized that I’m one tonight,” Kenma said quietly, still reeling from the epiphany.</p><p>“Oh? How were you a vampire without knowing?”</p><p>“Kuroo,” Kenma sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I guess he’s been taking care of me and not telling me about it. I’m mad at him right now.”</p><p>“Huh. I understand how you feel. I was mad at Kageyama when he finally told me that he’s an amemasu,” Hinata said thoughtfully. Tsukishima’s eyebrows were higher than Kenma had ever seen them. He looked shocked.</p><p>“What?! Hinata, you idiot! Shut up!” Kageyama’s voice could be heard in the background.</p><p>“It’s just Kenma and Tsukishima! They’re vampires so it’s not like they’re going to tell anyone that you’re actually a fish!” Hinata shouted back before turning his attention back to Kenma. “Anyway, is that why you need blood? Because you’re mad at Kuroo and can’t get blood from him right now?”</p><p>“Pretty much,” Kenma admitted. “The idea of feeding on strangers is… unappealing. I don’t think I could do it. Besides, according to Tsukishima, one person isn’t really enough to keep a vampire sustained without killing them.”</p><p>“We’ll have to find you some more, then!” Hinata’s cheerful voice made Kenma smile, despite the situation. “Is it urgent? Do you need some now? Do we have to use needles or can you just bite me? I don’t really like needles, so I think I’d rather let you just bite me, but if you don’t want to, that’s ok. I wonder if blood from different people tastes different. Now that Tsukki knows that I know, I can ask him all the questions I have!”</p><p>Tsukishima sighed and leaned back again, covering his face with his hands, already exasperated by the small man. Kenma stifled a laugh.</p><p>“I’m alright for tonight. We could meet up sometime tomorrow, if that’s ok with you.”</p><p>“Awesome! Just text me when you wake up! Bye!” Hinata hung up and Kenma blinked.</p><p>“That went better than expected,” he mumbled.</p><p>“Yeah, I didn’t expect the shrimp to accept so easily,” Tsukishima commented. He sat up and turned to Kenma. “Now, I’ll tell you all the basics of being a vampire. I had to figure them out myself, with Tadashi’s help, and that sucked.”</p><p>“Why are you helping me so much?” Kenma asked. It seemed strange that he was being so friendly and kind, considering they had never been particularly close.</p><p>“We have to stick together,” Tsukishima said, as if it was the simplest and clearest thing in the world.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Lost, Then Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo's faced with the possibility that Kenma already knows everything and what that could mean for them both.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Kuroo woke, it was late in the morning. Luckily, he didn’t have class or work that day. He rolled over and reached for his phone, turning it on and squinting at it through lids still heavy with sleep. What he saw made him sit up abruptly in a panic. There was a missed call from Kenma, along with a series of unopened text messages.</p><p> </p><p>KK:</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; VAMPIRE?!?!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; y didnt u tell me?!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; i had 2 learn frm sumbdy else &amp; figur evrythg out w/o u</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; can’t believ u</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; jus so angry w/u rn</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo couldn’t even focus on Kenma’s chaotic texting style, which usually made him smile. He was on his feet in seconds, pacing and biting his lip, trying to think of a solution. Without pausing to consider the consequences, he pressed the call button beside Kenma’s name, putting the phone to his ear. It rang and rang, then went to voicemail. He tried again with the same result. The third time that he called, there was a click, then silence.</p><p>“Hello? Kenma?” More silence. Kuroo looked at the screen and pressed on when he saw that the call had connected. “Kenma, listen! I was going to tell you, I swear! It was a complicated situation! I was trying to find the right moment, but I had decided to talk to you today-”</p><p>“Kuroo.” Kenma’s voice was low and quiet, with a dangerous edge to it that Kuroo wasn’t used to. It made him shiver and fall silent, the rest of his sentence forgotten. “Shut up. Leave me alone.”</p><p>There was a loud beep when he hung up, leaving Kuroo slack jawed and still in the center of the small bedroom. He let his arm drop to his side, phone forgotten for the moment. His worst fear had been realized and he didn’t know what to do.</p><p>He stumbled into the kitchen, where Bokuto and Akaashi were moving around each other with practiced ease. They were making eggs and pancakes, smiling and laughing in the bright sunlight filtering through the windows.</p><p>Kuroo looked around, noticing that the wooden splinters had been removed, leaving the tiles shining as if there had been no destructive animal standing there just hours earlier. The doorway to the basement was like a gaping maw, hiding the secrets of Bokuto’s transformations within its dark depths.</p><p>Akaashi noticed Kuroo first, growing serious at his expression.</p><p>“What happened?” He asked, hushing Bokuto with a nudge.</p><p>“He knows,” Kuroo croaked, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t know how, but he knows. He knows and now he hates me.”</p><p>“Calm down and tell us what happened,” Akaashi said, turning off the stove and setting the pan he was holding aside. He motioned for Bokuto to pause in his cooking as well.</p><p>“I woke up to a bunch of texts. Here, look!” He handed Akaashi his phone so that he could read the messages. “I called him - which he finally answered on the third try - and he told me to shut up and leave him alone!”</p><p>“He probably just needs space, bro,” Bokuto said, walking over to pat Kuroo on the back. “Finding out you’re not human is a big deal. It takes time to adjust, but Kenma’s smart so I’m sure he’ll come around. He’ll understand that you weren’t trying to hurt him, he’s just gotta work through his emotions first.”</p><p>“Who is this ‘somebody else’ that he’s referring to?” Akaashi asked, pointing at the screen.</p><p>“I missed that. I was so focused on the ‘I’m so angry with you’ part.”</p><p>“Who else would know about him?”</p><p>“Aside from you two and Alisa, I don’t think anyone else knows.”</p><p>“Maybe someone figured it out. It’s wild what supernatural senses can do,” Bokuto told him. “Remember when I said I smelled something at Kenma’s? I was smelling similar stuff at your place, but at the time I thought it was just because there were so many people in close quarters. We haven’t hung out in such a small space since I turned. Now that I know about Kenma, I’m pretty sure that not everyone is human in that group.”</p><p>“Do you know who?”</p><p>“Well, I didn’t know what I was looking for,” Bokuto said, scrunching up his nose. “What I do know is that Asahi coming in affected me for some reason and I definitely smelled others other than just him and Kenma. I would probably recognize them if I smelled them again, though.”</p><p>“I had to keep Bokuto from leaping at Asahi and starting a fight in your living room,” Akaashi commented.</p><p>“I wouldn’t have started a fight!” Bokuto protested grumpily.</p><p>“I also noticed that Daichi was staring a lot, mostly at Bokuto and his reaction to Asahi. You’re closer with Sawamura than me or Bokuto, so perhaps you could put out some feelers and see what he knows. Maybe he could tell you who Kenma’s been talking to or offer some advice on the whole situation.”</p><p>“Sure, I’ll stop by and talk to him while Kenma cools off,” Kuroo agreed, taking back his phone and trying to think back to his game night. He hadn’t noticed anything off, but he had been so focused on Kenma in his lap and making sure his guests were all having fun that he hadn’t had time for much else. That so much had gone on right under his nose made him uneasy, since he was usually so observant.</p><p>“Have some brunch with us before you go.” Akaashi’s tone left little room for argument as he turned the stove back on and cracked several more eggs into the pan. Bokuto hummed as he went back to making light, fluffy pancakes and Kuroo busied himself with chopping fruit.</p><p>He couldn’t stop thinking about the sudden multitude of supernatural creatures in his life. How had he never known about their existence before?</p><p>The flash of the sunlight on their silverware as they ate caused a spark of curiosity to distract Kuroo from his dismay over Kenma.</p><p>“Hey, so how many of the legends about werewolves are accurate? Does silver bother you?” Kuroo waved his fork, raising an eyebrow at Bokuto.</p><p>“Nah, pure silver just makes me itch. I left a chain on and it gave me a rash that burned, though. I have to make sure the chains we get are just steel or iron, with no silver in it.”</p><p>“What about wolfsbane? I’ve heard of that. Have you tried it?”</p><p>“Yeah. That burns, whether I’m touching the plant or the oil that’s extracted from it.” Bokuto shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Akaashi.</p><p>“There are different effects when a human consumes it, though,” Akaashi said. Bokuto scrunched his nose, apparently unhappy about the memory.</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“The human’s skin temporarily has the effects of the wolfsbane, burning any werewolf that they come into contact with. It doesn’t last long, however, and wolfsbane isn’t easy to acquire in large enough amounts to add to one’s diet.”</p><p>“Oh, woah!” Kuroo looked back at Bokuto’s expression. “Did you try eating it, Akaashi? Is that why Bo is pouting?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“I’m not pouting!” Bokuto cried. He leaned back and groaned. “I couldn’t touch him for like an hour! It was torture!”</p><p>“At least he knows what to do if you’re being too clingy,” Kuroo laughed and Bokuto smacked at his arm, making Akaashi smile and shake his head. They continued to discuss how Akaashi was using his position at the bookstore to do research when he had time, seeking out older references that had glimmers of truth and hints of more information that could help. He promised to broaden his search to include vampire-related texts as well.</p><p>Bokuto, on the other hand, had a different research idea.</p><p>“Maybe I can find the werewolf who bit me!” He was bouncing in his chair as he spoke. “Listen, Akaashi, I’ve thought it all through. If they ended up in that park, that means they must have shifted somewhere close by or else they would have run for some other nature-type area or headed for the edge of the city. Now that I know about being able to smell other supernatural creatures, I’ll go to all the bars and establishments in that area to see if I can smell anyone I recognize. I won’t confront them until I’m sure, I promise!”</p><p>“I think it’s a good plan,” Akaashi said, surprising him. “It’s smart and you can do it while being subtle and not giving yourself away. I don’t see any problem with it, as long as you’re careful. I trust you, Bokuto.”</p><p>They rested their foreheads against one another, gazing into each other’s eyes with a fondness that Kuroo could feel from across the table. They seemed to be more in love every day, so sappy and adorable that he couldn’t even bring himself to be jealous of them. After a moment, he smiled and stood.</p><p>“I should hit the road. I don’t know how long I’ll be at Daichi’s before I go try to beg Kenma’s forgiveness. I’ll let you know how it goes. If you don’t hear from me by tomorrow night, just plan my funeral, alright?”</p><p>“I’ll make sure you’re in a really ugly suit and give the best eulogy ever,” Bokuto told him solemnly, saluting. Kuroo rolled his eyes and waved as he climbed into his car, weaving through the suburban streets that had no idea of the wolf living among them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Old Friends to New Allies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo learns more than he ever expected to. Then he makes a dangerous promise.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Kuroo drove away from Bokuto and Akaashi’s house, he called Daichi, hoping that the man wasn’t busy. Luckily, he answered quickly.</p><p>“Hey, Kuroo! What’s up?”</p><p>“Sawamura! I’m in the neighborhood and I was wondering if I could swing by to talk to you about something. You busy?”</p><p>“Not at the moment. Come on by.”</p><p>“Thanks, see you soon.” Kuroo hung up and made his way along the outskirts of the city to another neighborhood. The houses here were smaller, with tiny enclosed yards and narrow streets. He parked the car in the small driveway behind Daichi’s vehicle and strode to the front door, knocking on the heavy wood.</p><p>Daichi opened the door, looking very rugged in dark blue jeans and a loose green flannel open over a gray shirt. He smiled and wordlessly held the door for Kuroo. When Kuroo strode past him, he could have sworn he heard the shorter man sigh quietly.</p><p>“Haven’t been here in a while,” Kuroo commented.</p><p>“Yeah, we redecorated,” Daichi replied, leading the way into a small sitting room with two sofas facing each other, a table between them. Each man sat on a sofa, Suga entering a moment later with a tray.</p><p>“I made tea!” he said excitedly, setting it on the table and sitting beside Daichi. “I’ve been making my own blends, so you’ll have to tell me how it is. Be honest, alright?”</p><p>“Sure,” Kuroo laughed, taking a teacup and sipping at the hot liquid. There was something familiar about the taste, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He scrunched his nose. “There’s kind of a weird aftertaste, but the citrus is good.”</p><p>He looked up and found the pair staring at him, leaning forward as if waiting for a reaction. They glanced at each other before Daichi addressed Kuroo.</p><p>“So, what did you want to talk about?”</p><p>“Well, apparently there was something going on at my game night that I wasn’t aware of. I was wondering if you saw anything strange?”</p><p>“Strange? What do you mean?” Daichi was stoic, but Kuroo could sense that he was trying too hard to sound ignorant. He took another sip of the tea and the flavor that he’d been trying to identify before struck him.</p><p>“Is there garlic in this?” he asked incredulously. </p><p>“Oh, well, I read that it’s good for you!” Suga laughed nervously. “I thought the citrus would overwhelm it. I’m surprised you tasted it.”</p><p>“How’s your stomach feeling?” Daichi asked.</p><p>“It’s fine,” Kuroo replied. He blinked, realizing the implication of the question. “Wait, did you think I was a vampire?”</p><p>Both Daichi and Suga were startled. Daichi recovered quickly, narrowing his eyes at the taller man. His hand drifted to the corner beside the sofa, grasping for something out of sight as he replied to Kuroo.</p><p>“Vampire? What do you know about vampires?”</p><p>“I know enough, like that garlic gives them a massive stomach ache. Is this a test? Do I pass?”</p><p>“Not yet.” Daichi’s voice was more serious when he pulled a large knife into view. The handle was dark, polished wood and the sheath that hid the blade was leather that was so worn that it had gained a sheen of its own. Suga shifted on the sofa and looked away, obviously uncomfortable with the weapon.</p><p>“What the hell, Sawamura!” Kuroo’s eyes were wide.</p><p>“Listen, this is a silver blade. One small nick, I can rule out most things. If you’re something else, you wouldn’t be able to be here inside my home.”</p><p>“You seem to know quite a bit about the supernatural yourself,” Kuroo commented. He sighed and rolled up his sleeve to reveal his forearm, holding it out palm down over the table. “Just make it quick and then we can talk without all this cryptic testing and dancing around the truth.”</p><p>With movements that were smooth with practiced ease, Daichi drew the blade and made a small cut just above Kuroo’s wrist. He winced, but the other man seemed to be satisfied by his lack of a more intense reaction.</p><p>“So, what are you?”</p><p>“Human,” Daichi replied, sliding the knife back into its sheath and tucking it into its hiding place. Suga sighed and scooted closer to him again. “I’m from a family of hunters, so I learned about supernatural creatures from a young age. I know quite a bit, though I don’t hunt much anymore unless there’s something dangerous nearby.”</p><p>“That’s why you might have noticed things at my game night that I didn’t?”</p><p>“Yeah, you gain an eye for that sort of thing.”</p><p>“Why don’t you hunt anymore, if it runs in the family?” Kuroo asked.</p><p>“A shift in loyalties.” Daichi glanced at Suga, who gazed at him with sad eyes and took his hand. Suga took a deep breath and turned to Kuroo.</p><p>“I’m not human. When Daichi found out, we were already close. He didn’t want to hurt me, but when he started questioning his family’s ‘kill everything’ policy, they disowned him and kicked him out. He stood by me anyway.”</p><p>“No way,” Kuroo mumbled, astounded. He’d never suspected that Sugawara was supernatural, though he wasn’t as surprised as he might have been a few days prior. It made him question everyone he knew, wondering who was truly human. “What are you? Is that rude to ask?”</p><p>“It can be, but I’ll tell you because I trust you. I’m a dryad.”</p><p>“Oh, I know that one!” Kuroo exclaimed. “Don’t dryads usually stick close to their trees, though? How did you move so far from where you used to live?”</p><p>“My tree is still pretty young – a sapling that we were able to transport in a large pot and plant here. It wasn’t pleasant, but I managed. I can travel a certain distance from it, farther if I take a piece of it with me. The larger the piece, the farther I can go and the longer I can stay before it’s painful.”</p><p>“That explains how you were able to do travel games and training camps in high school,” Kuroo said thoughtfully. “How does your family feel about you being with a hunter, though? I can’t imagine that they’re thrilled.”</p><p>“Dryads don’t have much familial structure.” Suga spoke like he was reading from a textbook rather than telling someone about his own species. “In my experience, we’re naturally solitary from one another and kind of on our own.”</p><p>“We’ve just had each other,” Daichi said quietly.</p><p>“Which tree?” Kuroo asked, peeking out the window at the small backyard lined with saplings, all the same height.</p><p>“I’m not telling you that!” Suga laughed with a twinkle in his eye.</p><p>“Who else is supernatural? Who else knows?” Kuroo asked.</p><p>“I’m not sure I want to just give you a list. Most are pretty secretive.”</p><p>“I won’t do anything, I swear. I just need to know.”</p><p>“First, tell me why,” Daichi said seriously.</p><p>“Oh, well… A friend recently got turned into a vampire.” Kuroo paused at Daichi’s concerned face.</p><p>“Are they getting enough blood? New vamps can be very dangerous, especially if they’re starving. There’s a risk of them going feral if they get hungry enough and then they’ll attack the next human that they come across.” Daichi told him. He rubbed his face and sighed. “I don’t especially like vampires. They’re one of the ones that have to hunt and feed on humans, so they tend to have a bad track record of violent behavior.”</p><p>“I’ve been trying to take care of them, but it’s getting hard to keep up.”</p><p>“They can’t survive on just one person’s blood.” Daichi was solemn. “Not without killing the person.”</p><p>Kuroo groaned and leaned back, letting his head fall back against the sofa. That was exactly what he’d been afraid of hearing. He’d have to find another solution somehow.</p><p>“Who is it?” Daichi asked.</p><p>“How do I know you won’t go stake them as soon as I give you their name?” Kuroo lifted his head, glaring at the other man suspiciously. “You just said that you don’t like vampires.”</p><p>“If they’re managing their diet in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone, I leave them alone. I know a few who have managed it. I just like to keep an eye out in case something happens. Sometimes I can even warn them if another hunter is in town.”</p><p>“Alright,” Kuroo hesitantly agreed. “It’s Kenma.”</p><p>“That makes sense. Who turned him?”</p><p>“My ex-girlfriend’s brother. He tried to take a game from Kenma at Hinata's party a month ago and got bit for his trouble. Those two are long gone, but Kenma somehow got turned.”</p><p>“What does that have to do with other supernaturals?”</p><p>“Well, Kenma’s lifestyle made the symptoms of vampirism a bit harder to detect. He was already nocturnal and he isn’t very active. I just snuck some blood into the veggie smoothies I make him all the time, so he didn’t even notice a difference.” Kuroo sighed. “Last night, he found out. He said that he had to learn from someone else and I’m trying to figure out who the ‘someone’ could be so that I can handle the situation a bit better.”</p><p>He looked up to find Daichi and Suga staring at him, mouths gaping and eyes wide with shock. </p><p>“He really didn’t know?” Suga asked, bewildered.</p><p>“No, so now he’s pretty upset with me. I was going to tell him! I just knew that he would be upset and I was trying to figure out the right time! Now I don’t even know who’s taken it upon themselves to figure out what happened and confront him about it.”</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t Asahi or Kiyoko, we can be sure that neither of them would do something like that,” Suga said thoughtfully, turning to Daichi. The hunter rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Asahi and Kiyoko?” Kuroo squeaked. Two more that he never would have suspected. “What are they?”</p><p>“I’m only telling you because we trust you not to tell anyone or confront them. No matter how quiet they seem, any supernatural creature can become very defensive about the knowledge of their existence. They can feel cornered and lash out.” Daichi crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow until Kuroo nodded seriously in response. “Asahi has been a werewolf since high school and Kiyoko is a huli jing.”</p><p>“What’s a huli jing?” Kuroo asked.</p><p>“A shapeshifting fox spirit that’s known for having a draw on people,” Suga cut in.</p><p>“Ah, that makes sense. If it wasn’t either of them, though, who could it be?” Kuroo scratched at his head. At this point, he didn’t trust his judgement about who was and wasn’t human.</p><p>Daichi leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.</p><p>“I’m not sure. Some of the younger ones might be hiding something, but I can’t be positive.” He seemed to hesitate and Suga put a hand on his shoulder before continuing where he left off.</p><p>“We’ve been suspicious of Tsukishima since he and Yamaguchi moved to the city. His behavior and his story about being mugged make us wonder if he was actually attacked by something else and hid his transformation.” Suga raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, he’s not one to slip up and share personal things like that and Yamaguchi won’t give anything away, even though I meet him for coffee at least once a week. He wears a lot of scarves and turtlenecks, though, if you catch my drift.”</p><p>“Tsukki? A vampire?”</p><p>“It’s possible, but I have no way to confirm it,” Daichi replied.</p><p>“I guess I really will have to just ask Kenma,” Kuroo sighed. “Any tips for helping him? I can’t exactly get a ‘How to Care for Your New Vampire’ book.”</p><p>“You’ll need to find at least one other person for him to feed on, if not more. If he has bigger… meals, he can feed less frequently, though activity level can affect how much he needs to feed. Most still feed every day or every other day to stay strong, though. Vampires also have advanced healing, but it makes them hungrier if they get injured. They can be killed by a wooden stake through the heart, having their heart completely removed, or having their head cut off. They have to be invited into a home for some reason, though not any other kind of building, and you already know about garlic. What else?” Daichi shrugged.</p><p>“Sunlight,” Suga reminded him. “They can go out in sunlight, but it’s extremely draining. The more direct it is and the longer they’re out in it, the worse it is for them. They’ll pass out after a while and they can die if they don’t get away from it and feed to regain their strength.”</p><p>“Right. That’s about all you’ll need for dealing with Kenma. If you run into older, more powerful vampires, they can have some different powers like in the movies and books, but I’ve never actually seen those. I’ve only heard old stories from my family,” Daichi said.</p><p>“Great,” Kuroo grunted, standing. “Well, I’m going to go see if he’s awake so that I can try to beg his forgiveness and help him figure out what to do next.”</p><p>“Keep us updated, will you?” Daichi asked, standing to walk him to the door. Suga cleared the small table, taking the tea tray into the kitchen.</p><p>As the pair reached the front door, Daichi paused with his hand on the handle.</p><p>“I hate to tell you this, but it’s important that you know. Asahi told me that he smelled another werewolf at your place the night we were all there. He was pretty sure that it was Bokuto, which makes sense based on his behavior toward Asahi that night, too,” Daichi said.</p><p>“Oh, yeah. I just found out about him last night, actually.” Kuroo chuckled at Daichi’s surprised face. “That was wild! He’s not really telling people, though, so if you could keep it to yourselves, that would be great.”</p><p>“We can do that, but Asahi was curious about what pack he’s running with? Do you know?”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Werewolves mostly run in packs, though they’ve gotten to where they can blend in with humans by making it look like a family business or a yakuza group or something. There are a few different ones in the city. Loners are pretty rare in the territories of established packs.”</p><p>“I don’t think Bo even knows about packs. I’ll ask him next time I see him.”</p><p>Daichi nodded and pulled the door open, flooding the entryway with afternoon light. He waved as Kuroo climbed into his car and pulled out of the driveway, watching him until the vehicle was completely out of sight.</p><p>A little while later, Kuroo stood in front of Kenma’s door, twirling the key between his fingers as he considered whether to knock or walk in. He hesitated, knowing how angry the younger man had been.</p><p>“Knocking sounds better,” Kuroo muttered to himself. He reached out and rapped on the door with his knuckles, knocking again when he heard no response. After knocking four times, he sighed and pushed his key into the lock. When he opened the door, he found the apartment dark and empty. Confused, he pulled the door closed and relocked it. As he made his way back to his car, he pulled the phone from his pocket and pressed on the icon of Kenma’s face on his home screen.</p><p>“What.” The phone hardly rang once before being answered, though Kenma still sounded angry.</p><p>“Hey, Kenma! I just stopped by your place to talk.”</p><p>“I’m out. What do you want?”</p><p>“I really want to apologize to you in person and show you how sorry I am. I’ll do anything!”</p><p>“Anything?” Kenma’s voice made Kuroo pause. They’d had this conversation before, often followed by Kuroo buying a new game or doing some ridiculous streaming challenge with the gamer. This time seemed different, though. There was something in the way Kenma said that word that sent a shiver down Kuroo’s spine. He gulped and took a deep breath.</p><p>“Yes. Anything.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Allies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kenma realizes that he has more allies than he anticipated.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“See you then.” Kenma hung up the phone and set it on the table in front of him, staring at it. He’d agreed to let Kuroo make it up to him the following night, but he had no idea how he would go about it. Only that he wanted it to be more painful than just paying for a new game. The pettiness within him wanted Kuroo to suffer, if only a bit, for what he’d done. He picked his phone back up and texted Tsukishima, glad that the other vampire replied so quickly.</p><p> </p><p>Kenma:</p><p>
  <strong>Kuroo wants 2 make it up 2 me 4 lyin abt vamps. ideas? &lt;</strong>
</p><p>Tsukishima:</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; Plenty. When is this happening?</strong>
</p><p>Kenma:</p><p>
  <strong>tmrrw nite &lt;</strong>
</p><p>Tsukishima:</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; Good thing I’m free then. I’ll come over and help you.</strong>
</p><p>Kenma:</p><p>
  <strong>help w/ wat? &lt;</strong>
</p><p>Tsukishima:</p><p>
  <strong>&gt; His punishment. You’ll get something out of it, don’t worry.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Kenma sighed and set his phone down again. Just as he did, the ball of sunshine that he was meeting plopped into the seat across the table from him, setting two coffees between them. He was in an orange sweatshirt that was almost as bright as his hair.</p><p>“Hi Kenma! I got us coffee! I know it’s pretty late in the day, but you stay up late, especially now, so I figured it was alright. I remember your favorite order! Do you even still drink coffee? Does regular food taste weird now? Do all things taste different than before?” Hinata asked eagerly, practically bouncing in his chair. Kenma smiled at his curiosity, sitting up a bit straighter and tugging at his oversized black sweater before answering.</p><p>“I still eat and drink normally. Most things taste the same, though I think flavors are a bit more intense. I like red meat more than I did before and I’ve never liked garlic, but I doubt I’d even be able to eat it now.” He lifted his coffee to his lips and drank deeply before setting it back down. Kenma was still glad that Hinata was taking the entire vampire situation so easily. It made him feel less crazy.</p><p>“How often do you drink… you know?” Hinata’s voice dropped to a whisper and he looked around to check if anyone was listening, despite the fact that the nearest customers were several tables away. Even if they were closer, the music that the café played would have drowned out anything that they might have said.</p><p>“I guess I was drinking a little bit every night.” Kenma sighed. “Kuroo was keeping it in a vegetable juice bottle and sneaking it into my smoothies, but I don’t know how much he was putting in. Tsukishima said that it’s better to have larger ‘meals’ every couple days instead with ‘snacks’ in between. There’s less chance of going feral ”</p><p>“Do you need some right now? Have you bitten someone before?”</p><p>“I haven’t, so I’m still nervous about that. Sorry, Shouyou, I just don’t want to hurt you.”</p><p>“I trust you, Kenma!” Hinata laughed. He pulled his backpack onto his lap and started digging through it. “But Kageyama said I should be prepared in case you weren’t ready, so I brought you something. He’s so smart that it’s annoying and now I’m going to have to tell him that he was right and he’s not going to stop talking about it for a week. He said that, this way, you won’t feel like you have to bite me if you don’t want to. And if you like doing it this way, I can keep doing this, but maybe I should ask Kuroo how he was doing it? I don’t like needles, but maybe it’s a good idea to get used to them.”</p><p>“You brought me something?” Kenma cocked his head, curious and a bit worried. Hinata finally pulled a bottle from the bag and set it beside Kenma’s coffee. Its label read “Cranberry Juice” but the color of the viscous, red liquid was slightly off. “Is that what I think it is?”</p><p>“Yeah, I filled it up last night after you called and made sure to drink lots of water and eat some healthy food so that if you actually wanted to bite me, I wouldn’t pass out. I learned all that from when I donated blood awhile ago and I figured this was kind of similar!” Hinata pulled up his sleeve to reveal a cream-colored bandage around his forearm.</p><p>Kenma reached out and gently grasped Hinata’s arm, running his thumb along the edge of the bandage. His pale skin was warm and Kenma almost thought he could feel the thrum of the blood flowing through his veins beneath the surface. The scent was very faint, beneath the scent of cotton and rubbing alcohol and something like mint.</p><p>“I didn’t mean for you to hurt yourself, Shouyou,” he mumbled. He looked up to see Hinata blushing.</p><p>“It’s alright, Kenma! I care about you and I really want to help you as much as I can!” He smiled. “I’m going to keep eating really healthy and drinking as much water as I can and you can tell me whenever you need more blood. I might be small, but I can do this.”</p><p>“As long as you promise to not drain yourself too much,” Kenma said sternly. Hinata nodded in agreement before pulling away and grabbing at his own coffee. </p><p>Kenma hesitantly picked up the bottle, turning it over in his hands as Hinata chattered about asking Yamaguchi to meet so that he could learn about being fed on by a vampire. When he finally got the courage to take a sip, he drained the bottle quickly, gasping at the feeling that flowed through him. It was so much better than when he’d drank the vegetable juice mixture – more satisfying.</p><p>When he placed the bottle back on the table, Hinata slipped it back into his backpack without missing a beat. Kenma caught a whiff of Hinata’s scent coming off his skin, like sunshine and overly-sweet orange juice. He kept talking as Kenma finished his coffee, easing the tension with his easy-going attitude and delightful company. He asked many questions, excited to learn what he could about vampires and compare Kenma to the movies he’d seen. It was more fun than the blond had expected and he was surprised when he realized that a couple hours had passed.</p><p>“See ya later, Kenma!” Hinata waved as they parted ways outside the café, skipping away down the sidewalk. Kenma waved and walked home down the dark streets, considering his new allies.</p><p>Hinata and Kageyama. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. They were all helping him in one way or another. It was strange and unexpected, just like his transformation.</p><p>Even Kuroo had, in his own way, only been trying to help him. He’d always had Kenma’s best interests at heart, even when he acted like an idiot and tried to take all of the pressure onto his own shoulders. It was so like him to try to handle it all on his own, even when it wasn’t his problem to solve.</p><p>As he reached his apartment, he realized that the ferocious anger he’d felt toward Kuroo just hours earlier had faded. He was still frustrated that the man had kept something so important from him and wanted him to face some sort of punishment, but Kenma no longer had a burning desire to rip his head off.</p><p>In fact, when he considered the entire situation, he realized that it wasn’t just his anger at Kuroo that had faded. It was his discomfort with the supernatural, his frustration with the transformation, his fear of the future.</p><p>He realized that he didn’t mind the idea of being a vampire.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. New Territory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tsukishima's idea of a punishment might not be much of a punishment at all.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is longer than the others, in part because of a scene containing sexual activity. While descriptions are minimal and refrain from being too graphic, be aware of the mature nature of this chapter and act accordingly.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kenma had been awake for nearly an hour when there was a knock at his door. He had showered and stationed himself on the couch, fiddling with the remote while he waited, jumping at the sharp raps on the door when they came. He wondered who had shown up first, Kuroo or Tsukishima. Was he ready for either?</p><p>He stood, turning off the television and pushing his damp hair out of his eyes. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find both men standing there. In an unusual turn of events, Tsukishima was standing with an arm draped around Kuroo’s shoulders, smirking at the older man’s nervous expression.</p><p>“Look who I found skulking around outside. Seems he’s anxious,” Tsukishima teased, leading Kuroo inside. Kenma closed the door behind them and followed them to the couch, where the pair sat, Kuroo still in Tsukishima’s supernaturally strong grip.</p><p>“I’m guessing you’re the one Kenma was talking to the other night?” Kuroo said, obviously trying to remain calm. “Are you a vampire, too?”</p><p>“You figured it out!” Tsukishima crowed, grinning widely and showing off a pearly set of fangs as he leaned in. Kuroo kept a straight face, but shifted slightly under the blond man’s arm.</p><p>Kenma raised an eyebrow at Tsukishima, crossing his arms.</p><p>“You refused to tell me your idea over text. So, what is it?”</p><p>“Right, of course. I’m going to teach you how to feed on a human without killing them,” he replied nonchalantly. Kenma and Kuroo both stared at him. He shrugged. “He said he would do anything, right? This is what he can do. And it’s not as painful as it sounds. I was going to teach you on Tadashi or the shrimp, but this will kill two birds with one stone by punishing Kuroo and helping you learn one of the most important things that a vampire needs to know. Plus, it’ll be a lot more fun.”</p><p>“Why will it be more fun?” Kuroo asked, nervousness seeping into his voice.</p><p>“Well, there’s a trick that I’ve learned from a few other vampires. Now be good and make it up to Kenma like you promised.” Tsukishima reached over and pulled the collar of Kuroo’s shirt aside, exposing a wide swath of skin all the way to his collarbone. With his free hand, he gently trailed his fingers down the man’s neck, tracing the curves of muscle. Kuroo froze, breaths coming faster and eyelids fluttering closed at the light contact.</p><p>“What trick?” Kenma asked softly, mesmerized by the movements of the blond man’s hand.</p><p>“There’s a reason that there’s a stereotype of vampires being seductive,” Tsukishima replied, pulling off his glasses and winking at Kenma. “We can get a human to be more willing to be fed on, begging for it even. Apparently, a bite hurts far less when a person is aroused.”</p><p>Kuroo gasped and leaned his head back instinctively when Tsukishima’s lips touched his neck, gently at first, then with an increasing amount of pressure. Tsukishima’s fingertips ran along his jaw, lifting his chin even higher as he kissed the smooth skin beneath it. Kenma watched with wide eyes, torn between shock and fascination.</p><p>“Yamaguchi doesn’t mind that you’re ‘seducing’ people to feed on them?”</p><p>“Tadashi knows that I love him and will always come home to him,” Tsukishima murmured, looking up at Kenma, still standing several feet away. “How are you going to learn from all the way over there?”</p><p>He didn’t realize that he was moving until he was sitting on the couch beside Kuroo, hands twitching and clenching. He realized that Tsukishima was watching him and he met the man’s gaze in an effort to show that he was ready. He’d never noticed how the blond’s eyes were the warmest part of him, like soft caramel.</p><p>Tsukishima grasped Kuroo’s chin, tilting his head to one side so that the side of his neck closest to Kenma was open and exposed. The dark-haired man’s eyes were still closed. His hands were clutching the fabric of his pants, knuckles white.</p><p>“Go slowly,” Tsukishima ordered. “When you’re ready, you’ll find the vein with your lips and force your fangs to descend. Once they pierce the skin, you can drink. Don’t rush or you’ll be swept up in it and you won’t be able to stop yourself from draining him dry. It’ll help that you just fed last night.”</p><p>“This is so weird,” Kenma mumbled.</p><p>“You need to learn this.” Tsukishima’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “Just pretend he’s someone you like, if that helps.”</p><p>Kenma’s stomach flipped. Someone he liked? Someone came to mind immediately.</p><p>He pressed his lips to Kuroo’s skin, startled by the warmth. It sparked a hunger deep in his gut. A different hunger than before. His mouth seemed to move of its own accord, kissing and sucking at the smooth skin. When he dragged his tongue along Kuroo’s jaw, the man groaned. His hazel eyes snapped open and he pulled Kenma onto his lap so that they were face-to-face.</p><p>Kuroo opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he meant to say was abruptly cut off when Tsukishima tangled the long fingers of one hand through his dark hair and pulled his head back until his chin was in the air again. Kenma was startled to find that the blond had moved to stand behind the couch without him even realizing. Tsukishima pressed his lips to Kuroo’s for a moment, then twisted to whisper in Kuroo’s ear.</p><p>“Ah, ah. Quiet now. You’re still making it up to him, remember?”</p><p>Kuroo responded with another groan, chest heaving and fingers digging into Kenma’s hips as the smaller man attacked his neck again. He hungrily kissed every inch he could reach, nibbling occasionally and feeling a thrill run through him when he heard Kuroo moan in response.</p><p>His hands moved on their own, unbuttoning the shirt that Kuroo was wearing and tracing the muscles beneath it before removing it completely. Kenma heard the man let out a low growl when his fingers traveled low enough to brush his belt. The noise made him shiver and he growled in response, nipping at the soft flesh of Kuroo’s throat.</p><p>“I think you’re ready. Watch me.” The voice pulled Kenma from the fog that had consumed his mind. He’d forgotten that this was supposed to be a lesson. The fingers of Tsukishima’s free hand hooked under Kenma’s chin and lifted his face so that he could watch as he demonstrated. He leaned over the back of the couch to trail his mouth down Kuroo’s neck, pausing near the base of throat. He grinned at Kenma and released his face so that he could copy him. Tsukishima kept guiding him, giving him tips in a low voice. </p><p>“A bit lower. You can feel his pulse in your lips or tongue if you pause. Only bite hard enough to pierce the skin, not like you’re trying to take a chunk out of him. You’ll want to position yourself so that both fangs hit the vein, so tilt your head a bit more. Or tilt his, like this.” He tugged on Kuroo’s hair again, pulling his head to one side. Kenma hesitated.</p><p>“You said it’ll hurt when my fangs descend?”</p><p>“Yes, they’re breaking through the gums. It’s only for a moment, though, and then the advanced healing kicks in. And the first taste of fresh blood is worth it. There’s nothing like it.” </p><p>Tsukishima smiled, then nibbled at Kuroo’s ear, still holding his head to one side. A whine came out of Kuroo that Kenma had never heard before, then the hands that had been clenched around his hips were suddenly at his shoulders, tugging at him.</p><p>“Ah, we can’t have that,” Tsukishima said. He leaned close so that his lips brushed Kuroo’s ear when he huskily growled a command. “Give me your hands.”</p><p>Kuroo obeyed, slowly uncurling his fingers from Kenma’s shoulders and lifting his hands over his head. Tsukishima used the hand that wasn’t gripping the man’s hair to grab both wrists and pull them back behind the couch until Kuroo was gasping at the strain on his arms.</p><p>“There. All ready for you, Kenma.”</p><p>“Wait, how bad will it hurt him?”</p><p>Tsukishima sighed at Kenma’s hesitation.</p><p>“It’ll hurt less if you do it quickly. It’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Kenma,” Kuroo mumbled. His eyes rolled to look at the man that was still sitting on his lap, straining since Tsukishima refused to release his hair. His voice was hoarse, still dangerously close to a moan. “I’ll be fine. Please, I want you to do this. Please.”</p><p>Hearing Kuroo beg sent another shiver down Kenma’s spine and his mouth quickly connected with the exposed neck once more. He found the vein, just as Tsukishima had said, then focused on his teeth and willed the fangs to emerge.</p><p>The stabbing pain in his gums made him gasp and pull back from Kuroo slightly, but it didn’t last nearly as long as he expected. He marveled at the feeling of the fangs, how natural they felt in his mouth. He touched them gingerly with the tip of his tongue before dragging them lightly across Kuroo’s skin. The man’s hips bucked slightly and he let out another moan.</p><p>Before he could hesitate again, Kenma bit down in one quick, smooth motion, hearing Kuroo hiss at the pain. He bit just deep enough that he felt the warm blood seeping out from the small wounds and spreading across his tongue. The taste was like sweet, delicious ecstasy, driving him to drink deeply. Each drop was more satisfying than anything he’d ever consumed before in his life, making every nerve in his body feel like it was alight and glowing with energy.</p><p>His hands grasped at Kuroo, trying to pull him closer. He reveled in the gasps and moans that echoed in his ears as he pressed himself against the man, distracting him from his pain with the movement of their hips grinding against one another.</p><p>“Slow down,” Tsukishima said in his ear, slipping his fingers under Kenma’s chin to lift his face from Kuroo’s throat like before. He had released Kuroo’s hair, but retained a vice-like grip on his wrists. Kenma gasped and a small trickle of blood dribbled down his chin.</p><p>To his surprise, Tsukishima leaned forward and licked it off, sliding his tongue across Kenma’s bottom lip before kissing him fully. When he pulled away, he smirked.</p><p>“Who knew the rooster was so tasty? I’ll have a little,” he chuckled, leaning down to suck at the oozing wounds that Kenma had left behind. There was the slightest hint of jealousy that tickled the back of Kenma’s mind when the man moaned once again. It slipped from his mind, however, when he looked up to find Kuroo’s eyes locked on his face as he made the strangled noise. The expression on his face was one of desire, pleading for release.</p><p>Kenma’s hands travelled down again, unbuckling Kuroo’s belt and unfastening his pants. When his hand brushed the large bulge below, Kuroo whined and shifted his hips.</p><p>“Please, Kenma,” Kuroo’s voice was barely louder than a whisper, but Kenma could hear everything with startling clarity. With fresh blood still on his tongue, his hearing and vision was beyond anything he’d experienced. He took a deep breath and nodded.</p><p>“It seems you’re getting a reward for feeding us so well,” Tsukishima purred, grinning at Kenma. He then took it upon himself to keep Kuroo’s mouth busy with his own, interspersed with trails of kisses and nibbles down his neck. When Kuroo’s hands moved behind the couch, Tsukishima paused and let out a small groan of his own. He growled at Kuroo, fangs flashing as he smirked. “You know what you’re doing with your hands, too. Keep going.”</p><p>Kenma shed his pants, all thoughts of shame completely gone from his mind. He felt powerful, electric. He climbed back onto Kuroo’s lap in just his t-shirt, settling lower until he felt the pressure against him, gasping at the size of it. Kuroo let out a low grunt that turned to a drawn-out moan as Kenma settled even lower. Kuroo filled him completely, making him grunt and pant.</p><p>With his hands on the man’s abdomen, Kenma rocked his hips, causing Kuroo to moan louder. It was obvious by the way he moved that he was used to being in control, trying to thrust his hips and tugging against Tsukishima’s hold on his wrists. The tall vampire responded by grabbing his hair again, cutting off another moan with an aggressive kiss. They remained locked together and Kuroo’s hands moved faster behind the couch, causing Tsukishima’s voice to join Kuroo’s and Kenma’s. Kenma took the opportunity to attack Kuroo’s exposed neck again, nipping at him and licking at the puncture wounds that he had made as he continued to rock his hips. </p><p>The cacophony continued until the three of them reached a crescendo together. Kuroo’s salty sweat and sweet blood swirled on Kenma’s tongue as he felt the wave of pleasure wash over him, causing him to stiffen and shudder through the release. He felt Kuroo experience the same beneath him, groaning as his human body shook under the seduction of two vampires. Tsukishima sighed and went limp just as they did, collapsing forward over Kuroo’s shoulder, his forehead less than an inch from Kenma’s.</p><p>A few moments later, Tsukishima straightened, finally releasing Kuroo’s wrists and making his way back around the couch to sit beside him again, buttoning and readjusting his pants as he did before retrieving his glasses. From his back pocket, he withdrew gauze and medical tape.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Kenma asked, sliding off of Kuroo’s lap and retrieving a towel to carefully clean up their mess. He also retrieved his pants from where he’d thrown them, quickly slipping into them.</p><p>“You have to dress the wound. Taking care of those you feed on is a responsibility you have to take seriously if you want to keep doing it,” the other vampire replied, expertly securing the gauze. After, Kuroo’s head lolled to the side and he sighed, closing his eyes.  </p><p>“Are you alright?” Kenma murmured as he gently pulled Kuroo down into his lap and draped a blanket over his bare torso. He brushed the dark hair off the man’s forehead as he nodded, eyes still closed. Kenma glanced at Tsukishima, fingers absentmindedly running through Kuroo’s hair as he spoke. Tsukishima cocked his head.</p><p>“He should be fine, but he needs to rest. Then he’ll need water and food.”</p><p>“Do you do this with everyone that you feed on?” Kenma asked quietly.</p><p>“Not always. I prefer it, though it depends on the person. It usually doesn’t take much. You don’t have to go far, just enough to make what’s necessary more enjoyable for both parties. And it doesn’t have to mean anything deeper unless you want it to.” He raised an eyebrow and smirked at Kenma, who looked away to hide the blush that flooded his cheeks.</p><p>“Do they always pass out afterward?”</p><p>“No, but the first time can be tough on them, especially with the extracurricular activities.” Kenma blushed again and Tsukishima laughed. “After all of the teasing in high school, it was fun to turn the tables on him, but I’ll respect it if you decide to claim him.”</p><p>“Claim him?”</p><p>“Yeah, when a vampire claims a human, they’re taking them under their protection and can decide if other vampires can feed on them. It used to be accompanied by a deep marking carved into the human’s skin with the vampire’s fangs as a sort of outward signal to others, but nowadays a tattoo with a few specific details is enough. It’s usually only done for humans that you really care about.” Tsukishima cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, a hint of embarrassment in his voice and a faint scent accompanying his words. “I’ve claimed Tadashi. He has a moon tattoo above his right collarbone where I first bit him.”</p><p>“Do you always share this much? You always seemed so private before,” Kenma commented thoughtfully.</p><p>“You’re the first person aside from Tadashi that I’ve been able to talk to openly about this. I never reached the point that I felt comfortable enough to share personal details like that with other vampires that I’ve met. They tend to be solitary, unless they spend years and decades getting to know each other. I guess I didn’t realize and just blurted it out, sorry.”</p><p>“No, it’s alright. I appreciate it. It makes me feel less alone.”</p><p>Kenma remembered what Tsukishima had said the first night that they spent together talking about vampires. He repeated it quietly, watching it cause a small smile to spread across the other vampire’s face.</p><p>“We have to stick together.”</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Opening Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuroo shares what he learned and someone makes a heartfelt confession.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kuroo woke with a small jerk, disoriented. He was still laying in Kenma’s lap on the couch, a soft blanket draped over him. The television was on, though the volume was so low that he could barely hear it. When he looked up, he found Kenma’s bright eyes staring down at him.</p><p>“What time is it?” Kuroo asked, voice hoarse.</p><p>“Like, 4 am,” Kenma responded. He watched as Kuroo sat up, groaning at his sore muscles and gingerly touching the gauze on his neck. The man looked around, then raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Where’d Tsukki go? He didn’t want to sleep over?” A hint of his usual teasing was back in his voice, though he still seemed a bit nervous. Kenma thought that he could smell his moods in the air, sensing them like scents on the wind. Anxiety was sharp and biting, like mint. It reminded him of the first night that Kuroo had fed him blood and he’d thought he was smelling the man’s soap.</p><p>“Apparently, he always goes home to Yamaguchi. Stay there.” Kenma got up and walked to the kitchen. He was surprised that Kuroo was listening to him. He stole glances at the man as he prepared a plate of chicken nuggets, bringing it over with a tall glass of water and placing them in his hands.</p><p>“Thanks,” Kuroo mumbled, eating quickly. “It feels weird – you taking care of me. And I never actually apologized.”</p><p>“You don’t have to-”</p><p>“Yes, I do,” Kuroo cut him off. “I shouldn’t have kept it from you that you were a vampire. I was a coward. I’m really sorry, Kenma.”</p><p>“I already forgive you!” Kenma rolled his eyes at the shocked expression on Kuroo’s face.</p><p>“You do?”</p><p>“Yeah. I don’t mind it all that much. It isn’t as bad as I expected, especially now that I know how to feed and have some options. I might have to practice some, but I can definitely do it without killing.”</p><p>“You can keep feeding on me,” Kuroo said eagerly. When Kenma rolled his eyes, he hurriedly cleared his throat and stammered out an explanation. “It doesn’t have to be like last night. It’s just that you know that I’ve been pricking myself and that I have a pretty high pain tolerance and it makes sense since the whole thing is my fault.”</p><p>“How is it your fault that I bit Lev?” Kenma asked with a glare.</p><p>“Well, he was Alisa’s brother. I brought them into your life and that makes it my fault.”</p><p>“That’s stupid.” Kenma stood and carried the dishes into the kitchen. “Did you know that they were vampires?”</p><p>“Not until afterward, when I confronted Alisa. That’s why she left – and blocked me. She knew that you would turn and she freaked out.”</p><p>“Then you have nothing to feel guilty about.” Kenma shot him another glare. “Or anxious about. I’m not going to bite your head off.”</p><p>“I’m not anxious!” Kuroo protested, brow furrowing.</p><p>“I can smell it.”</p><p>“Vampires have a crazy sense of smell, too?”</p><p>“I’m still getting used to it and figuring out what different things mean.” Kenma paused on his way back to the couch. “What do you mean ‘too’?”</p><p>“Oh, well, when I came in the other night and saw that you’d drank the whole bottle of vegetable juice, I panicked a little and then my phone really did die. I drove out to Bo and Akaashi’s place to ask Akaashi if he had any books that would help. Instead, I found out that Bokuto is a freaking werewolf.” He laughed at the shocked expression on Kenma’s face. “Yeah, it was a big thing. It made it easier to ask for advice about you and your situation, though. They were really pushing me to talk to you.”</p><p>“It just so happened that Tsukishima was already telling me everything. He said that he and Yamaguchi noticed at your game night.” Kenma shrugged. “Kageyama is an amemasu, too. Shouyou told me when I called and asked if I could feed on him, too, because apparently one person isn’t enough. I haven’t bitten him yet, though.”</p><p>“Kageyama? Wow.” Kuroo ran his fingers through his hair. “I know of some others, too, but you can’t tell anyone else. Akaashi told me that I should talk to Daichi. Turns out he’s from a family of hunters, Sugawara is a dryad, Asahi is a werewolf, and Kiyoko is a huli jing.”</p><p>“Seriously? If we all knew about each other, we could just have monster parties at this point.”</p><p>“That’s not a bad idea! I’ll start planning one!” Kuroo grinned and Kenma just rolled his eyes and turned toward the bathroom.</p><p>“Now that you’re awake, I’m going to shower.”</p><p>“Can I join you?” Kuroo winked. It seemed that Kenma’s reassurances had eased the awkward nervousness he’d been feeling, turning him back into the teasing annoyance that he remembered.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Aw come on! In high school, we used to shower together after volleyball practice all the time. And you always run out of hot water here!”</p><p>“Maybe a cold shower is what you need.”</p><p>“I’ll be good, I promise.”</p><p>“Fine.” Kenma tried to ignore the way his heart beat faster when Kuroo dropped the blanket onto the couch and followed him into the bathroom. The man’s pants were still unfastened from the night’s activities and they were quickly discarded and kicked into a corner. Kuroo twisted the shower’s handle, adjusting the water temperature while Kenma shed his own clothes. They’d been naked in front of each other hundreds of times in the locker room and even in each other’s homes, so he was annoyed that he suddenly had butterflies when he imagined Kuroo’s eyes sliding over him.</p><p>He followed Kuroo into the small shower, pulling the glass door shut behind him and closing his eyes as he turned and stepped under the warm water. He sighed deeply.</p><p>When he opened his eyes, he found Kuroo’s chest inches from his nose. He sometimes forgot how much taller the other man was until they were standing close together. Kenma looked up, immediately getting lost in the eyes of hazel and gold that were watching him intently.</p><p>“Listen, Kenma,” he said softly. “I know last night was about the blood, about feeding. I know that it’s not personal. I’m alright with doing anything you’re comfortable with so that you can feed and I’ll keep my feelings to myself unless you tell me clearly and directly that you want something more.”</p><p>“Your feelings?” Kenma mumbled. “Something more?”</p><p>“I heard what Tsukki said about a vampire claiming a human, even though I was falling asleep. And aside from that, you know how I feel about you.”</p><p>“How do you feel about me?”</p><p>“I care about you. A lot. I’ve liked you since high school.” Kuroo said it as if he’d said it a hundred times before. He didn’t seem to mind repeating it, though.</p><p>“You’re always dating gorgeous women, though.”</p><p>“You know that I like men, too.” Kuroo cocked his head and gave him a small smile. “Primarily you. I don’t ever want you to feel pressured, though, so don’t answer right now. I just want you to know that I’m here for you, whether you want that to be as a friend or as something else.”</p><p>Kenma looked away, trying to calm his racing heart and quiet his squirming stomach. There was a stinging behind his eyes, tears threatening to burst forth and march down his cheeks to mingle with the warm water already rushing over them.</p><p>Without thinking, he turned back and leaned his forehead against Kuroo, who hesitated only a moment before wrapping his arms around Kenma and cradling him in a gentle embrace.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Wine and Cake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dinner at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's house reveals more about the world of supernatural creatures among them.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is going to be so awkward!” Kenma whined as they approached the condo’s front door. It was in an expensive building with a doorman and shiny surfaces.</p><p>“It won’t be that bad! You usually like Yamaguchi,” Kuroo replied, though the sharp, minty scent of anxiousness caught in Kenma’s nose.</p><p>“You’re nervous, too,” Kenma muttered.</p><p>“Can’t lie to you, even if I tried,” the taller man chuckled. It had been just over a week since the night that Kenma and Tsukishima had fed on Kuroo for the first time and neither of them had seen the tall blond vampire in the interim, though Kenma had exchanged several text messages with him. “I still don’t think it’ll be that bad, though. I’d like to ask Yamaguchi a few questions.”</p><p>Kenma kept grumbling and looking around as Kuroo knocked. When the door swung open, a smiling face beneath olive-green hair greeted them.</p><p>“I’m so glad you two could make it!” Yamaguchi waved his arm and stepped to the side to let them in. Kenma felt the slightest pressure in his chest as he neared the threshold, bringing him to a halt before he could step over it. Kuroo glanced back at him with raised eyebrows, then looked at Yamaguchi. The man snickered before offering an official invitation tinged with sarcasm. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Please, come in.”</p><p>Kenma huffed as the pressure eased and he followed Kuroo into the entryway where they removed their shoes. While Yamaguchi didn’t even come close to Tsukishima when it came to sass and snark, most mistakenly took that to mean that he was as sweet and innocent as Hinata. Too many missed the mischievous glint in his eyes.</p><p>Kuroo and Kenma followed him down a short hallway that turned to open up into a high-ceilinged living space. All the curtains were drawn shut, keeping out any of the evening light that might have invaded the space.</p><p>Past the stairs that led up to a small loft, Tsukishima was standing in a large, open kitchen and pouring red liquid from a dark wine bottle into a glass. He looked at them over his glasses, then pulled three more wine glasses from beneath the counter.</p><p>“I’ll pour you all drinks, as well,” he told them while filling the second glass with the same bottle he’d been holding, then he glanced at Kuroo. “Red or white?”</p><p>“Red is fine.”</p><p>Tsukishima nodded but pulled a different wine bottle from a small refrigerator and poured it into the two remaining glasses. He handed a drink to each of them.</p><p>“Why didn’t you ask me?” Kenma grumbled.</p><p>“I didn’t ask because I knew you would prefer this red that I’m drinking,” Tsukishima told him with a smirk, bringing his glass to his lips and drinking deeply.</p><p>Kenma looked down at the drink in his own hand and took a sniff, then let out a tiny noise of surprise. It was blood. Of course, he should have known. He took a sip and found that there was the perfect amount of red wine mixed in, just enough for the tastes to mingle delightfully on his tongue.</p><p>“There’s a vampire who makes a good amount off of selling bottles of that to other vampires across the country,” Tsukishima told him after he nodded in appreciation. “I met him at a bar, where he almost managed to snatch up one of my regulars. He can be incredibly obnoxious.”</p><p>“He’s not that bad, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi admonished him.</p><p>“You just say that because he’s constantly trying to flirt with you and he just bickers with me.”</p><p>“Sounds like a fun guy!” Kuroo interjected with a smirk.</p><p>“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Tsukishima gestured toward the dining table, laid with several covered dishes. “Let’s eat before it gets cold and all of Tadashi’s work goes to waste.”</p><p>They spent the next several minutes exclaiming over Yamaguchi’s cooking, then ate quietly for a while. When the other human started cleaning up, Kuroo stood to help with clearing the table and doing dishes, leaving the vampires sitting at the table together.</p><p>“How has the feeding been going?” Tsukishima asked quietly, leaning forward on his elbows.</p><p>“Better than I expected, honestly. I don’t feel so on edge anymore and I don’t feel desperate if I go a day without blood. I feel better when I feed every day, though. Kuroo is over all the time when he doesn’t have class or work, so I’ve fed on him three times, giving him time to recover after each.”</p><p>“Sounds like you’re holding back a bit.”</p><p>“I’m trying not to drain him too much and hurt him. It helps having Shouyou, who has given me three more bottles of his blood. I’m still unsure how to…” Kenma trailed off. “It’s easy with Kuroo because he’s so eager and we’ve already done it and, well, you know him. Shouyou is eager to help, too, but I’m nervous about trying your ‘trick’ on him.”</p><p>Tsukishima chuckled and Kenma rolled his eyes.</p><p>“You know the shrimp is super open about stuff like that, right? He rants about physical affection so much that I feel like he’d kiss and cuddle just about anyone who he felt remotely close to.” He raised one eyebrow. “You two are closer than most of the people he’s kissed at his parties. I’m honestly surprised he hasn't already done something with you at some point.”</p><p>“He knows I have stricter boundaries, I guess.” Kenma was suddenly very distracted by the thought of Hinata kissing other people and wondering what it would feel like to have those lips pressed against his own.</p><p>“Maybe invite him over and see what happens. Not to mention that there’s some weird thing that makes vampire bites heal up faster than regular cuts and needle punctures.”</p><p>“I’ll think about it,” Kenma mused.</p><p>“Are you two ready for dessert?” Yamaguchi asked, setting a tray of tiny cakes down on the table while Kuroo slid into the seat beside Kenma. He set one in front of each person, then took his own seat beside Tsukishima.</p><p>“Did you make these yourself?” Kuroo asked as he passed a small fork to each of them.</p><p>“Of course! I’m really glad that my bakery has been doing so well – it means that I get to try out some new recipes.”</p><p>Kenma gasped when he took a bite of the cake, dark red chocolate sponge melting in his mouth. The pale frosting was sweet, but not overly so, and complimented the cake perfectly. He gazed at Yamaguchi with amazement. </p><p>“Is there blood in this, too?” he asked. When the man smiled excitedly, he caught a hint of citrus in the air.</p><p>“Yeah! I learned that blood has a similar structure to the oil and eggs in recipes, so as long as I get the proportions right, the baked goods are the exact same. However, they’re extra tasty for vampires!”</p><p>“It’s made his bakery quite a hot spot in the supernatural community,” Tsukishima commented. Kenma thought he could smell the faintest hint of citrus on him as well, realizing what it meant when he smiled softly at his human partner. He was proud of him.</p><p>“The only tough part is keeping the baked goods separate so that I don’t accidentally sell the wrong ones to humans. I’m trying to come up with a good system, but the best I’ve got so far is either late-night hours for supernatural sales or starting a delivery service so that they can be dropped off. I’d have to hire more staff for either one, but I think the popularity has proven that I could afford it.” They listened to him ramble, occasionally giving their opinions or making small comments as they ate their cakes.</p><p>“So, Tsukki’s been feeding off you for a long time now, right?” Kuroo asked a while later. “Got any tips for a newbie bloodbag?”</p><p>“Stay healthy and drink more water than before. Take good care of yourself and communicate with Kenma about how you’re feeling so that he knows how much feeding you can handle.”</p><p>“Don’t let a vampire feed on you when you’re sick. It tastes disgusting and you do not want to see a vampire vomit,” Tsukishima cut in.</p><p>“Oh, and be more careful going out to bars and clubs and big public places,” Yamaguchi said quickly. “I had to learn that the hard way. I don’t know how they do it, but experienced vampires can practically sniff out humans who are used to being fed on. They’ll hone in on you like moths to a flame, especially if you’re not claimed.”</p><p>“Tsukki claimed you, right?” Kuroo asked.</p><p>“Yep.” He pulled the collar of his shirt to expose the moon tattoo that rested just above his collarbone. It was a delicate crescent with realistic details, though it was cast in a red light, with craters that were nearly the color of fresh blood.</p><p>“Oh, I see what you meant about specific details,” Kenma mumbled, brow furrowing. Tsukishima nodded knowingly.</p><p>“What?” Kuroo asked.</p><p>“I can’t quite explain it,” Kenma paused, still staring at the tattoo. “Something about the markings on the moon just screams ‘vampire’ to me, and reads as ‘Tsukishima’ but I have no idea how. It’s like kanji, but also like it’s in code that I can naturally read now?”</p><p>“That’s called Sanguiscript - the hidden writing of vampires,” Tsukishima told him. “All vampires can read and write it, but there's the added benefit that it doesn't even look like writing to anyone else. Some other supernatural creatures can manage to read it as well, but it’s harder because they have to learn it. Not many tattoo artists can do it properly, but I know one in the city.”</p><p>Kenma nodded thoughtfully, then looked down at his plate. He didn’t pay much attention as Kuroo continued to ask questions and try to squeeze stories out of the olive-haired human. Instead, he used his fork to push bits of frosting around his plate, trying to see if he could write his own name in the strange, instinctual writing that he’d seen in the tattoo. When he was relatively satisfied, he sat back a little, then glanced at Tsukishima. The blond must have felt his eyes, turning to look at him.</p><p>Kenma inclined his head at his plate, drawing the other vampire’s gaze to it. He raised an eyebrow and nodded approvingly, muttering something so softly that the humans couldn’t hear him.</p><p>“Your mark.”</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Bloody BBQ</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A barbeque at Bokuto and Akaashi's doesn't go as planned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weekend after dinner with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, Kenma once again found himself on his way to a social gathering, grumbling even more. He and Kuroo had been invited to spend the afternoon and evening with Bokuto and Akaashi.</p><p>"It's so bright out," Kenma complained, blinking when the window’s glare shone in his eyes. "I'm tired."</p><p>"We talked about testing your 'sunlight tolerance' and this is a good opportunity because both of them know about you," Kuroo said patiently.</p><p>"I know," Kenma muttered as they pulled into the house's driveway. "Doesn't make me any less tired, though."</p><p>They made their way around the house to the backyard, where Bokuto was already grilling several steaks and Akaashi was reclining in a brightly colored hammock.</p><p>"Hey hey hey! Good timing! These are almost done, so we can eat in just a minute," Bokuto greeted them enthusiastically. He looked at Kenma, two pairs of golden eyes meeting. They knew about each other now and the tension in the air between them seemed to reflect every story of werewolves and vampires being mortal enemies. Perhaps there was a grain of truth in the tales. Then the tension was shattered by Bokuto's blinding, fanged smile. "I'm throwing yours on now, cause I figured you'd want it pretty rare."</p><p>"Thanks," Kenma replied with a small smirk. How could he be Bokuto's enemy? Impossible. "Warm and bloody would be perfect."</p><p>He moved to greet Akaashi, who had stood to take the large salad Kuroo brought and place it on the table, which was situated under a large umbrella. When he turned back around, he had one of Kenma's favorite energy drinks in hand.</p><p>"I know it's a bit early for you," he said, passing it to the vampire, who gratefully opened it and took several long sips.</p><p>"Don't drink too many of those, though, because we gotta see how the sunlight affects your energy," Kuroo warned. "Keep me updated on how you feel and let me know if you feel woozy."</p><p>"I will, I already promised you," Kenma replied.</p><p>"So scientific," Akaashi commented. "Sorry I couldn't find any books that would be helpful."</p><p>"It's ok, we appreciate you looking," Kuroo told him, patting his shoulder. Kenma nodded as he sat at the table, letting the taller man speak for both of them.</p><p>Moments later, a plate was plopped in front of him with a big slab of bloody meat. The scent of it almost made his mouth water. He dug in immediately, humming happily. The others also attacked their meals, scooping side dishes into their plates. Kuroo gave Kenma a small spoonful of each and he thanked the man with a small grunt.</p><p>"So, how's everything in the werewolf household?" Kuroo asked between bites.</p><p>"It's going good, but man! There's this new guy at work that just irks me and it's tough to control my temper, you know?" Bokuto huffed. Akaashi patted his shoulder comfortingly as he continued. "I don't know what it is about him. He's not even in my section, so we haven't interacted much."</p><p>"Weird. Wonder if he's another supernatural creature?"</p><p>"I haven't gotten close enough to smell him yet, so I'm not sure."</p><p>"Would you be able to tell what he is by smelling him?" Kenma asked, amazed.</p><p>"If I've smelled something like him before," Bokuto answered with a grin. "Like how I know what vampires smell like because of you."</p><p>"That's incredible," he murmured.</p><p>"Here!" Bokuto held out his arm. "Smell! Then you'll know werewolves!"</p><p>Kenma hesitated, then leaned forward and took a deep whiff, realizing that he could make out a strong, musky scent coming off of Bokuto. It wasn't quite the same as a dog or animal, but it was close, and the scent of the forest mingled within it. Like vibrant moss and dark, upturned soil beneath crushed pine needles.</p><p>"Interesting. How close do you have to get?"</p><p>"Depends, but it's usually like fifteen or twenty feet."</p><p>"I think you have a stronger sense of smell than I do. I only get emotions when they're strong and I had to get this close to smell you."</p><p>"Maybe. I haven’t really gotten an opportunity to talk to a vampire and compare until now. I bet there are things you can do that werewolves can’t."</p><p>They looked up to find the humans watching them intently.</p><p>"Sorry, didn't mean to leave you two out of the conversation," Bokuto laughed.</p><p>"No, it's alright. It's fascinating to learn about these things," Akaashi assured him. Kuroo nodded fervently in agreement.</p><p>Kenma rubbed his temples, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. A low pounding was beginning to creep into his mind, like the precursor to a horrible migraine.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" Kuroo asked.</p><p>"I'm starting to get a headache and I'm tired," Kenma said, taking another sip from his energy drink. "Just keep talking without me for a few minutes."</p><p>"Yeah, sure. So, Bo…" Kuroo scrambled for a topic. "Oh! When I talked to Daichi, he said that Asahi asked if you're running with a pack. Maybe that means there are other werewolves in the area. It's a big city after all."</p><p>"Hey! You didn't mention that!" Bokuto pouted.</p><p>"I forgot! I told you everything else! I was a little preoccupied with feeding a kitten." Kuroo laughed and Kenma rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Well, I was kinda thinking about looking for other werewolves anyway,” Bokuto admitted slowly. “I was thinking it would be good to know who’s around and maybe they can answer some of my questions I’ve had. It’d be nice to find the one who turned me, too, and give them a piece of my mind.”</p><p>“Just be careful,” Kuroo said worriedly.</p><p>“I will. It’ll be easier since I can sniff them out now!”</p><p>Kenma reached out and fumbled for Kuroo’s arm, gripping it so tightly that the tall man hissed. He was seeing spots, the pain in his head sharper and more painful than it had been just moments before. He could practically feel his strength fading by the second.</p><p>“Kuroo…” he mumbled. “I don’t feel so good…”</p><p>Kuroo swept him up his arms and raced toward the house. Luckily, Bokuto’s quick reflexes kicked in and he leaped to open the door for them. As they approached the doorway, Kenma felt a growing pressure in his chest and fought against Kuroo’s arms, calling out frantically.</p><p>“Wait! You have to-”</p><p>“Invite him in, Bo!” Kuroo interrupted.</p><p>“Come in!” Bokuto said rapidly.</p><p>Kenma sighed audibly when they crossed the threshold into the dark shade within, leaving the sunlight behind. Kuroo carried him into the spare bedroom and set him on the bed. He still seemed dazed and pale, eyes roving around the ceiling.</p><p>“Thought you might want some privacy,” Kuroo murmured, sitting on the bed beside him and offering his arm. Kenma tried to nod, groaning when it sent a jab of pain through his head. He reached trembling hands out to grab Kuroo’s arm and pulled the man’s wrist toward his face.</p><p>There was a moment of hesitation before he pushed his fangs to descend and bit down, hearing Kuroo suck in a sharp breath. Kenma drank deeply, subconsciously reaching up to twist one hand into the man’s hair, until he felt a tapping at his shoulder. It was a signal they’d decided on, so that Kuroo could tell him that he was reaching his limit.</p><p>“Did you get enough?” Kuroo asked worriedly as Kenma pulled away. “I’m sorry, I’m getting dizzy.”</p><p>“No, but it helped.” Kenma closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows with a small sigh. His brow furrowed as he tried to endure the throbbing in his head, though it had lessened somewhat. “That happened faster than expected.”</p><p>“Describe what you felt.”</p><p>“It just started with feeling more and more exhausted, then the headache got worse and worse. Suddenly, I felt dizzy and then I felt like I was going to pass out. My whole body felt kinda sore and fatigued. I feel better, but I need more blood.”</p><p>“Should I call Hinata? See if he can come over?”</p><p>“Or I’m here,” a voice said from the bedroom doorway. “If you need blood, I can help.”</p><p>Kenma opened his eyes to find Akaashi standing there, watching them. His deep blue-green eyes stared calmly while he awaited a response.</p><p>“Where’s Bokuto?” Kuroo asked.</p><p>“Outside. When he smelled your blood, he got distressed. When he gets upset, the wolf side of him is closer to the surface and he can act very instinctively. He was worried he might accidentally attack Kenma to try to protect you, so he’s waiting in the backyard.”</p><p>“I’ll go wrap this and then check on him while I grab some water,” Kuroo said, standing shakily and leaving the room before either of the other men could stop him. There were a few moments of silence before Kenma spoke.</p><p>“I can’t imagine what Bokuto would do if I hurt you and made you bleed, if he gets this upset about Kuroo,” he mused.</p><p>“He already gave his blessing, just admitted that he shouldn’t be around when it happens.”</p><p>“I’ve only ever fed directly on Kuroo,” Kenma warned. “Shouyou gave me his blood in a bottle. I’m still learning and figuring it out.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, I have a high pain tolerance,” Akaashi assured him. He approached the bed, taking Kuroo’s place.</p><p>“Well, there’s another thing,” Kenma couldn’t meet the other man’s eyes, speaking quickly to try to get the words out. “There’s a technique that Tsukishima taught me that can be a bit… weird, but it helps with feeding and pain. It has to do with seduction and arousal and-”</p><p>His words stuttered to a stop when Akaashi brushed his knuckles across his cheek, then ran a thumb over his cheekbone. He looked up to find the man’s face closer than before, lips parted ever so slightly.</p><p>“I’m here for you, Kenma,” he whispered. “What do you need?”</p><p>Kenma gulped and hesitantly reached up to run his fingers over the smooth, beautiful skin of Akaashi’s face. When his eyes flickered down to the man’s lips, Akaashi smiled and leaned forward slowly until Kenma could feel his breath on his own lips. He seemed unwilling to cross that final hair’s breadth, teasing Kenma until he made the move himself.</p><p>Teasing a hungry vampire is a dangerous game.</p><p>One of Kenma’s hands slid to the back of Akaashi’s head and tangled in his short, dark curls, pulling him that last small distance so that their lips crashed together. His other hand moved to Akaashi’s shoulder and grabbed a fistful of his shirt’s fabric, trying to pull him even closer.</p><p>To his surprise, Akaashi pulled him into his lap so that he was perched on one thigh, legs hanging across the other. He twisted at the waist to keep kissing the man, whose arms wrapped around his waist with sure movements.</p><p>“I’d prefer my neck to my wrist,” Akaashi said quietly when they came up for air. “I can wear collared shirts for work.”</p><p>When he reached up to pull his shirt aside, Kenma huffed excitedly and brought his lips down on the unblemished skin. He dragged his teeth and tongue across it, almost sorry that he had to ruin such a perfect neck. Akaashi gasped and let out small whines as Kenma found a lovely spot where the man’s neck met his shoulder.</p><p>“It’ll heal fast,” he breathed, then he found the vein and bit down in one quick motion. Akaashi gave a small grunt and his hands on Kenma’s back curled into fists, then he held very still while the vampire fed. He was careful not to take too much, stopping just as Akaashi started to fidget.</p><p>Kenma pulled back and wiped at his mouth, making sure that blood wasn’t running down his face. He wasn’t completely satisfied, but he felt miles better than he had before. The ache had faded from his head and his limbs, causing him to sigh in relief. His vision was clearer than it had been since he woke and he could hear Kuroo’s footsteps moving back toward the bedroom, the slightly minty scent of nervousness accompanying him as he slowed just outside the door.</p><p>“Come in, Kuroo,” Kenma called, startling Akaashi slightly, who winced when he turned to watch the taller man enter.</p><p>“I brought water and figured I could help with the bandaging,” Kuroo offered, handing a bottle to Akaashi. His wrist had been wrapped securely and he seemed steadier on his feet.</p><p>“I’ll do it.” Kenma pulled gauze and tape from his pocket. He’d taken to carrying them so that they were on hand if he needed to feed. Akaashi tilted his head so that he had better access to the wound, which he carefully cleaned before securing a clean, white square over it with the tape. “How are you feeling?”</p><p>“I’m alright,” Akaashi replied. “I told you, I have a high pain tolerance.”</p><p>“It isn’t as bad as you think, Kenma,” Kuroo chuckled. </p><p>“Right,” Akaashi agreed. He raised an eyebrow and gave a small smirk. “I’m happy to help and willing to do so whenever you need it.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Kenma choked out, then blushed and cleared his throat as he climbed off of Akaashi’s lap. </p><p>“We can clean up and have dessert indoors,” Akaashi said, sipping water as he made his way toward the back door. Kenma stopped in the living room, settling onto the couch to wait.</p><p>Less than an hour later, Kenma was nibbling at carrot cake that Akaashi had made and cookies that Bokuto had made (proudly announcing so when he handed everyone their plates). He had Kuroo on one side and Akaashi on the other, with Bokuto sitting on the floor between Akaashi’s feet.</p><p>“Hey, Kenma,” Bokuto said during one of the commercial breaks in the show they were watching. “I just wanted to tell you that there’s no hard feelings about you drinking Akaashi’s blood. I promise I don’t mind, it’s just an instinctual thing to protect him, you know? If he wants to, I’m not gonna stop him. I’m glad he can help.”</p><p>Kenma let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.</p><p>“Thanks, Bokuto. You’re both really amazing friends.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Encouragement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yamaguchi and Hinata chat about the vampires in their lives.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Two lemonades!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yamaguchi retrieved the drinks with a smile and quiet thanks, carrying them outside to the cafe’s patio seating. He set them on one of the small, wrought-iron tables just as the person he was meeting arrived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Yams!” The ball of sunshine crashed into him, wrapping his arms around the taller man and squeezing him tightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hinata!” Yamaguchi gasped. “It’s good to see you, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Hinata finally released him, they sat and sipped their lemonades, enjoying the warm spring sunshine in comfortable silence for a while. It was easy to see that the redhead was desperate to ask questions, practically vibrating in his chair. Yamaguchi waited until it seemed he would explode with the force of his curiosity, then broached the subject he knew was on the man’s mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, now you know about vampires.” He smirked at how Hinata jumped and looked around suspiciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you worried someone will hear?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really. Even if they do, would they believe it? We can just say that we’re talking about a movie or a game or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that makes sense,” Hinata said thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, I’m glad there’s another person to talk to about it. Tsukki has some vampire friends that help him. He also has some other humans that he feeds on, but I’ve never gotten along with them because of how fanatical they are about the whole thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kuroo knows, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I like you better,” Yamaguchi laughed. “Honestly, I’m just glad you don’t hate us for hiding it from you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Kageyama and I did the same thing with him being an amemasu, so I guess I understand why you did it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you find out about him anyway?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, if he gets completely submerged in water, he has to work really hard to stay in his human form. It’s why he doesn’t ever go swimming and just dips his feet in the water. One day I saw him change.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s so interesting! Could you imagine if we all knew about each other in school?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It would have been crazy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laughed and then fell silent for a bit, watching cars pass by the small café and enjoying the breeze that swept past them, carrying soft pink flower petals through the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s your bakery doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Business is booming! I have several recipes that incorporate blood, so supernatural clientele have been pouring in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s awesome!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been told that it’s not quite as satisfying as drinking blood, but they enjoy it immensely either way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They fell silent again, sipping their drinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tsukki said that Kenma hasn’t fed on you directly yet,” Yamaguchi said bluntly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah.” Hinata deflated a little. “I think he’s just nervous, but I wish I could do something to help him feel more comfortable about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, the way that Tsukki feeds - and has taught Kenma to feed - puts a lot of focus on arousal and sensuality to ease feeding for both parties,” Yamaguchi told him. “Aren’t you always kissing people and cuddling with them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but Kenma is different!” Hinata groaned and rubbed at his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” The redhead buried his face in his arms, mumbling. “He makes me nervous, too. I know he doesn’t usually like that kind of stuff. What if he doesn’t want to kiss me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouyou,” Yamaguchi said seriously, reaching over to lay a hand on his arm. “Are you blind? That boy has liked you since high school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does that make it better or worse?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good question,” Yamaguchi snickered, shaking his head. “Maybe you should just go for it and make the first move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should I take him on a date? Or kiss him at a party? I was thinking about having another party. Is this Saturday too soon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tsukki and I wouldn’t be able to make it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I have tickets to a certain dance performance that I’ve been dying to see,” the olive-haired man said with a chuckle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just you? Why doesn’t Tsukishima have a ticket?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think about it for a minute. I’ll wait.” Yamaguchi watched the gears turn in Hinata’s mind until his eyes lit up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tsukishima’s going to be in the performance?” he all but shouted. “I thought he was working at the museum!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tsukishima’s love of dinosaurs was well-known, so no one had been surprised when he'd acquired a position at the city’s large Natural History Museum. He had bragged about how employees were sponsored to go to school, so long as they were contracted to work there after graduating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is, but he’s always enjoyed dance, so he took the opportunity to use his elective courses to focus on it. He just joined the local theater group a little while ago, so he’s obviously pursuing it more seriously than some of his other hobbies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did he keep that hidden for so long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was sworn to secrecy.” Yamaguchi made a face, sticking out his tongue. “Thankfully, you figured it out on your own, so technically I didn’t tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Won’t he still be upset?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably.” Yamaguchi shrugged. “I know how to deal with him, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder if there are still tickets available,” Hinata mused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll send you a link to the website.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool! I bet the rest of the crows would love to go, too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As long as you’re the one who brings them, I can plead ignorance and say I had nothing to do with it. Just a little encouragement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Hinata slumped again. “That doesn’t solve my problem with Kenma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just go over to his house today and do it. Get it over with. If he doesn’t want to, you can deal with that. Stressing yourself out like this is just going to make it worse, though.” Yamaguchi sipped at his lemonade, watching Hinata think.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Hinata looked at him hopefully. “Any tips?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drink lots of water beforehand so that you don’t pass out in the middle of it, because that’s embarrassing. Lots of red meat is good, too, for the iron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Also, don't be afraid to tell them when you've reached your limit. Sometimes a vampire gets caught up in feeding and doesn't keep track of how you're feeling, especially when they're new."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That makes sense. I'm sure we can work out some kind of signal."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yamaguchi considered Hinata, wondering at how this man was so selfless. He’d always been this way, but this was further than he’d ever gone before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In his case, he’d already been completely enamored with Tsukishima when the blond had been turned. There had been a necessity that only he could fill. It made him feel special, knowing that no one else was close enough to the man to do something so intimate, until he got more comfortable with feeding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook himself, realizing that Hinata had asked him a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, what did you say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I asked if being a vampire makes Tsukishima a better dancer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not!” Yamaguchi answered, laughing. “I know that’s another stereotype - that they’re all suave and dress well and dance beautifully at balls, but no.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I figured it might help a little!” Hinata sounded indignant. “I don’t know everything that changes when someone is turned. Kenma isn’t really the type to step outside his comfort zone and test his physical limits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fair, I suppose.” Yamaguchi took a moment to consider. “A vampire has increased strength, speed, and stamina. They can see in complete darkness and can smell blood a mile away. Most get really good at smelling emotions in the air, too. They can take a hit better than almost anything in the world, which makes them nearly impossible to injure or kill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow!” Hinata’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As far as dancing, though, it’d be like someone suddenly gaining super strength and trying to play baseball. It doesn’t necessarily make them better at playing because they have to be technically proficient at the game.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I see.” After a pause, Hinata furrowed his brow. “Wouldn’t people notice if he’s able to do more than other dancers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but he’s said that he enjoys the challenge of staying within normal limitations but still being good. He focuses on technique.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait to see!” Hinata laughed. “Maybe Kenma will want to go, too!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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